Stalking Horse
by mariontyler
Summary: What if Rose got back to the Doctor before Stolen Earth? How would that change the storyline? This is a rewrite of the very end of Series 4 with Rose.
1. Prologue

**Okay, so I say this is a prologue, but it's more like a really short chapter. I hope this gets your attention and that ya like it. Reviews are very welcome!**

"What do you mean it won't work?" Rose asked. "All of the calculations are correct. We have a running power supply. What else do we need?"

"Rose," Mickey sighed. "You don't understand. It's like trying to throw a person through a brick wall. You can't do it. Not without killing the person, that is. You need to have a small slit to go through or else you would create a fatal rift."

"Well, why can't we just construct a hole?" She realized that she was grasping straws, but she would do anything to get back.

"If we make a hole, we risk the entire wall falling down, and the end result would be a rift, like I said. The Dimension Cannon is totally useless. Rose," he paused. "You can't go back. It's impossible."

"No. No." She shook her head vigorously. "You're wrong. Something's wrong. Check the calculations a third time. There's an error. There has to be something."

Mickey grabbed her by the shoulders. "Rose! Listen to me! I know what I'm talking about. Here at Torchwood, we've done all we can. You have to let go now."

Rose stared at him in disbelief. "How can you say that? He needs me, Mickey. He needs me and I can't just leave 'im. He's all alone. He's got no one left now, so what's he gonna do?"

She leaned against her desk and ran her hands through her hair. "Look at you, Rose. Two an' a half years you've been at this. You're stressed. You can't keep doin' this. It ain't good for you." He walked over to the door. "Please, Rose. Everybody's worried 'bout you. We just want what's good for ya."

She just kept her eyes trained on the ground. Mickey sighed. "Just, get some rest. I'll see ya tomorrow." He left her office without another word.

Rose thought over what he'd said. He was right. She couldn't do this anymore. For almost three years they had been doing everything they could to get her back to the Doctor, but it was all for nothing.

It made her wonder though. What was he doing over there? Did he ever think of her, mention her to new companions? Or had she simply been another Sarah Jane? All she wanted was to be back there with him, but had she really ever been that important to him that he'd take her back?

Rose shook herself out of those thoughts. She was tired. She was so tired of questioning everything and failed attempts and not being good enough to get what she wants. Maybe she should just stop. Perhaps she could finally start a life here. Even if it was a life in a universe that didn't belong to her.

She pushed off the desk and grabbed her purse to leave Torchwood. When she got to her flat she fell into her bed and was asleep almost immediately.

 **I 3 reviews!**


	2. Just a Bit Unlikely

**Whoa, guys! This has already gotten so many follows and only on a 400 word tidbit. I hope I don't let you guys down. My little sister was wondering what a stalking horse was and told me that she'd never heard the term before. A stalking horse is a term that means small chance when all the odds are against you. Don't ask me why. I won't be able to tell you. I hope you all like this! Review =**

Rose woke up late that morning, momentarily freed from the memory of last night's discovery. And then it all came flooding back to her. If only there was some way to create a hole without putting the universe, if not all universes, in danger. Perhaps, if she could go back in time to when the void was opened between both dimensions. She could go back to 2007 and jump through the void using the Dimension Cannon! It could work! Would Torchwood had any Time Travel technology? No, they couldn't have. If they did, they would have used it before it was disbanded for their advantage.

Rose groaned. Would she ever make it back to the Doctor? It seemed like a lost cause. Everything they tried kept getting shot down. No. She stuffed those thoughts deep down inside of her and locked them away. She was getting back to the Doctor and nothing was going to stop her.

Satisfied with her daily pep talk, she flipped over in her bed and looked at her alarm clock to see the red numbers glaring back at her. 9:17 am She slumped back down in her bed covers. Suddenly, she came to her senses and exclaimed, "What?! I'm going to be late!"

Rose jumped out of her bed and ran to her closet. Seeing a blue gray skirt suit and some matching heels she threw them on. Once changed, she rushed to her mirror and looked over herself. "Could use a shower. Make-up! No, no time! Hair!" She brushed through her hair with a vengeance and then dropped it on the vanity before grabbing her purse and keys.

Rose ran down the stairs instead of taking the lift. With all the training they gave her at Torchwood and her experience with the Doctor, she was faster than the lift anyway.

As soon as she got to her car she flung the door open and jumped in. Rose was supposed to be high profile, being the Vitex heiress (although she had no intentions whatsoever to stay in this universe long enough to inherit a company), but she sped all the way to Canary Wharf, nearly causing a collision more than a few times.

Rose ran to the entrance, but didn't immediately go in. She figured that the best way to do this was to sneak in like she'd been there on time after all. She slinked through the door, just barely opening it. She crawled on her hands and knees to the big, potted plant and hid behind it.

She waited until the coast was clear and crept to the stairs. While climbing, she couldn't help but go back to days when she traveled with the Doctor. The Rose before never would've imagined herself working in an office building. Much less Torchwood. But she and Pete had changed it. For the better, you might say. That didn't mean she wasn't stuck on leaving this world as soon as possible, however.

Once she made it to her floor, she opened the door out of the staircase and ran right smack dab into Pete. Yeah, suppose there it was no use trying to sneak in, but it felt pretty good to do it anyway.

A rather undignified noise of surprise made its way out of her mouth and Pete looked at her like the tired (sorta) father he was. "Rose, where've you been? We've all been looking for you. Have you got your ringer on?"

She sighed as she slipped a hand in her purse, feeling for said mobile. When she didn't find it she patted herself down and remembered that she'd left it on the nightstand by her bed in her hurry to get to work.

"Yeah, I was just…gettin'…coffee." Mentally slapping herself for giving a lousy excuse. "Thirsty, you know?"

Pete narrowed his eyes. "Getting coffee, yeah? And, uh, where is that coffee."

Oops. "Thirsty. Remember? Anyway," She changed the subject. "Do I have going on today?"

Pete still didn't seem to quite believe her, but apparently decided to let it go. "Yes, actually. While you were out 'getting coffee,' you had a visitor. He's here to sign off on some new tech. He's in your office right now. But be careful with him. He seems…shy."

"Gotcha," She moved past him toward the direction of her office. Torchwood often had people coming in to get some of the latest technology. And unfortunately, they all got sent to her. She was scheduled an intern sometime soon, though. So it wouldn't be long until she could dump that duty on someone else.

She opened the door to her office and was met with the back of a dark-haired man's head. She spoke as he turned around to see her. "Hello. I'm assuming that you're the one I'm supposed to-"

She gasped as she recognized the man. "Jack?" It was Jack! He was sitting there in front of her. How did he get here? How did he find her? She took a look at him. He looked just as he always had, but had black, broad-rimmed specs sitting on his nose and there was no World War II coat on his shoulders. "Jack? Jack, it's me. It's Rose." Then she actually looked at him. His eyes, His eyes were opened wide and totally void of recognition. He didn't know her. "Jack?"

He opened his mouth and looked about to speak, but ended up giving a little squeak. "I-I-I don't understand. I think that, uh, maybe I'm not who you think." He stood and held his hand out to her awkwardly. "I'm John. Harbor! John, uh, Harbor."

Rose was still in too much shock to move. "John" pulled his hand back and wiped it on the side of his leg. "I, uh, I'm here for some tech?"

So, clearly this wasn't the same Jack. Her Jack was still across the void. John Harbor was nothing like him, Rose knew. And she hadn't even known him for over a minute! For one, his personality was totally flipped! His name wasn't the same and he looked like a nerd! This man was probably a techy for whoever he worked for.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah. You just…remind me of someone." She shook herself out and went around her desk to grab the paperwork for him. "'Kay. I just need to know a few things." She logged onto her computer and opened up what she needed. "What is the tech you are procuring?"

She looked at the screen, ready to type and waiting for an answer, but none came. She looked up to see John messing with an interesting device she'd snatched from the special archives. He looked to be disassembling it. Which was something she didn't really want happening to an item that she wasn't even sure she could reassemble.

She cleared her throat, but he didn't notice. What she wouldn't give for her Jack right now. "John!" He spun around and dropped the device which then shattered on impact with the ground. She groaned.

John dropped to his hands and knees, picking up pieces and trying to put it back together. Rose left her chair and went over to him. She placed a hand on his shoulder and he shot up. "I'm so, so sorry! I was just looking at it! I didn't mean to drop it! I can pay fo-"

"It doesn't matter," she interrupted him, trying her best not to laugh despite how annoying Jack's clumsy counterpart was. She couldn't wait until she could get back to her world and tell the Doctor about this. "Didn't even know what it was. I'll clean it up later. How 'bout you come back over here and sit down. I need you to answer a few questions for me, okay?"

John nodded. "Okay." They both take their seats and Rose repeats the question. "Yeah. I'm actually here to sign off for our shipment of Gravity Globes,Hymetusite, Jethrik, and Jacenite."

She nodded as she typed it out. "Okay. And what purpose will you be using these for?" When she and Pete revived Torchwood anew, they decided to do it the way the Doctor would be proud of. Everything they do is for good. Not some psychopathic alien bent on taking over the Earth.

John answered and they continued with more questions just to ensure that everything was clear. Once they were finished with all the questions, Rose glanced through to make sure. She noticed that they had skipped one.

"Hold on. I missed one. What is your corporation?" That was actually pretty important and she missed it. She was really not with it today.

"Oh! Uh, the Time Agency." He answered, rubbing his hands together as what Rose guessed was a nervous habit of his.

"Okay." She started typing it out, but paused mid-word when she realized just what he'd said. Did he say…? "Sorry, the, um, what?"

He looked unsure of himself now. "Time Agency?"

She smiled sweetly at him. "Would you mind waiting here? I'll be right back." Rose stood and quietly left the room. Immediately she ran down to the lab where Mickey would likely be. Her plan could work!

 **So did I do the characters justice? I always worry whether I've got them in character or not. How do you think Rose's plan will go? Tell me what you think in reviews.**


	3. Moving Right Along

**Yay! Another chapter! I really hope that you all are enjoying this, but I have no way of finding out if you don't review. I see tons of follows and a few favorites, but it's really reviews that help make me write more. Anyway, enough with the authors note. We'll get to the good stuff. Enjoy!**

"Mickey!" Rose exclaimed as the doors burst open and she ran through into the white laboratory. She didn't waste a second getting to the point. "Mickey, it can work! I have a plan! We could take the Dimension Cannon back in time, with the help of the Time Agency. We could travel to a time in this universe when the rift was open and when the ghosts were there and I could go through. Once there, I could travel to a place where I can meet the Doctor in his current timeline. We could lock on to him and I could find him, Mickey! I can-"

"Whoa, Rose! Hold on there. What are you talking about?" Mickey interrupted, holding his palm out toward Rose to slow her down.

"Mickey, I can get back!" She could barely hold in her happiness. She was going to see him again.

He sighed. "We talked about this. It doesn't work we ca-"

"Yeah, see. There's where you're wrong. Guess who I've got sitting upstairs in my office." She challenged.

"Who?" He asked, although looked as if he didn't really care.

She smirked. "Captain Jack Harkness," She laughed as Mickey's face morphed into an expression of astonishment and maybe just a hint of jealousy. Although Rose and Mickey had been over since Blon the Slitheen, Mickey still seemed just a bit hung up on her.

"How'd he get here?" He asked.

"Well," she drew out the vowel just like the Doctor used to. "His name is actually John Harbor and he really isn't like Jack in the slightest. My guess is that he's this world's version of Jack."

Mickey folded his arms. "So, how would he get you to the Doctor?"

That was where it got good. "He's a time agent. The Time Agency could take me back to when the ghosts were trying to come through and I could get back to the Doctor using the Dimension Cannon."

He drew his eyebrows up in confusion. "But, Rose, you said that everything that had traveled through the Void would get sucked back in. If you go back, won't you just get pulled in again?"

She considered that for a second. "Well, we can simply send me to a time earlier than when the Doctor and I arrived and once there, we could lock onto the TARDIS somehow. You can do that, right?"

"Yeah, I think I can. It'll take some time, but…yeah I think so. But, Rose, how're you gonna get the Time Agency to help you?"

"I'm not for sure, but as an agency, they're bound to want something."

He nodded. "Just one more thing, Rose." He hesitated and Rose was worried that he remembered something that could ruin this all over again. "Are you sure you really want to do this? Think about it. Are you sure you really want to leave everybody - Jackie, Tony, me – just to go back to the Doctor? You'd never be able to see us again."

She knew that and she'd considered it hundreds of times while constructing the Dimension Cannon. She really did, but…the Doctor was so alone. He had nobody. His people and planet were gone. Somebody had to be there for him. "Mickey, you've known me my entire life. You know how it was, but you've also seen how I am with the Doctor. I promised him forever. And I'm not about to break that promise. Besides, you don't need me anymore. Look at you. You're all science genius now."

Mickey chuckled, but pulled her up in an abrupt hug. Rose laughed. "I'm not leaving yet!" But she hugged him back all the same.

He loosened his grip and they separated. "Right. Well, I better get back to it."

"Yeah, and I probably shouldn't leave John for too long. He'll probably have broken something else by now."

"So, you see? Your help would not only be vital, but it would be rewarded." Rose had just finished telling John her plan and how he could be a part of it. So far he hadn't said anything and she couldn't tell much from his facial expressions. "What do ya think?"

He had his hands in his pockets and he was leaning against her office wall. "Well, I don't know too much about parallel dimensions, but from how you described it, it sounds like it'll work. Just, uh, one question: How do you expect to get the Time Agency to help?"

"Well, I figured we have those items you want, maybe I can help get them to you for a lower price? I know it isn't much, but perhaps you could persuade them?" She batted her eyelashes at him and gave one of her tongue-in-teeth grins, hoping that he wasn't too much unlike Jack.

It appeared to have worked. "Yeah, I think they'll be up for that. I'll try to set up a meeting with the higher ups. It may take some time, though. Um, when exactly are you planning on getting this thing started?"

She didn't even stop to think. "Immediately."

John seemed surprised. "Uh, really? Don't you think you should take a week or so before getting started?"

She shook her head. "I've waited long enough to get back to the Doctor. I'm not gonna waste any more time."

"Um, okay. Does that mean," He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. "I mean, d'you want me to go, uh, talk to the Agency now?"

She'd never seen Jack so insecure. And really this wasn't Jack, so she couldn't help but inwardly giggle. "Yeah, it would help."

He nodded. "Okay. I'll be, uh, out there." He pointed at the door and walked out, turning around to smile and wave before closing the door.

Rose sat down at her desk and sighed happily. Just you wait, Doctor, she thought. I'm coming back.

About a week later, Mickey was all but finished modifying the device to lock on to the TARDIS's time signature so she could track the Doctor. The whole scheme was going along just nicely. Thing only thing that could stop her now was the Time Agency. If they didn't want to exchange technology for just one trip back in time, then all of this would be in vain.

So that's why she and John were walking through the long corridors of theMistress, the enormous airship sitting over the Thames that was the central location of the Time Agency in the 21stcentury. She had noticed it before, but no one had been able to answer truthfully what it was. She was surprised that no one had ever tried to do anything about it, but now that she knew what it was for, it made sense.

"So, who exactly am I meetin' with?" She asked Jack as they strode through the ship. Rose knew that she was here to strike a deal with the Time Agency, but she'd not been told about the actual person she'd be negotiating with.

"You'll be speaking with the Head of the Technological Branch. Her name is Jody Bark. There's a, uh, joke we have about her. It's actually kinda funny. We tell everyone that her bark is worse than her bite."

Rose groaned and wished, not for the first time, that she was dealing with the real Captain Jack Harkness. John wasn't too bad, but she kept getting it into her mind that he was Jack and then he'd do something and it came crashing back to her. And that was definitely something Jack wouldn't say.

"She really isn't too bad once you get to know her, but she'll definitely come off a bit…harsh at first." John informed.

"Got it, but shouldn't something like this be up to someone with more, let's say, power in the Agency?"

"Believe it or not, this sorta thing happens quite a bit."

"Really? You have several people coming through the Void, then?" She asked sarcastically.

"No, not like that. That's not what I meant. What I do mean is, there are many organizations that are willing to exchange with the Time Agency for little trips like this."

She was surprised by this. "And you just let them?"

He smiled. "No. Most cases don't get taken seriously."

Rose crossed her arms in a thoughtful gesture. "So, why is my request getting considered?"

"Well, I like you and your situation is a little direr than most." He gave what Rose assumed to be a mischievous smirk. "Plus, I'm rather liked by the higher ups."

She raised her eyebrows. Perhaps, he wasn't too much unlike Jack.

They continued walking and making innumerable turns until John stopped in front of an iron door.

"Okay, I've already explained to her what you want to do, but not why. So, she may ask you some questions herself. She's not the most trusting of people."

"Y'know, I don't think that I've heard one reassuring thing about this woman." Rose said. She was kind of worried about whether this Jody Bark would really be willing to help her at all.

"Well, she's-she's…hmm. I think you're right. Just get on her good side and you'll do fine."

Without warning, the door swung open and a dark woman was glaring at them with an impatient look on her face. "In the future, if you are to talk outside of my door, you are going to need to find a more discreet way of discussing me." She turned on her heel and walked around a desk to sit down. "Enter!"

That snapped Rose into action. She walked through the doorway and stood in front of the woman. Pull yourself together, Rose! You are not intimidated by her! Not one bit, Rose lied to herself.

"So, explain to me exactly why you need us to take you back to 2007." Bark ordered.

"Uh, well, it's-well, I'm-"

"Spit it out, girl!" Bark actually "barked".

"Well, it's complicated! So, just hold your horses!" She said without thinking. "Sorry. Let's just say I'm tryin' to get home."

Bark raised an eyebrow. "You aren't from this time?"

"Actually," Rose knew this was where she was going to lose her. "I'm not from this universe."

Bark's face was one of utter unbelief. "Really? And how, pray tell, did you get here, then?" She asked, although not completely serious.

Rose sighed. "I was getting sucked into Hell and this world's version of my dead father saved me before I fell in. He brought me here."

Bark smiled in a way that told Rose she didn't believe a word of it. She stood. "Ms. Tyler, thank you for the lovely story, but I don't have the time for jokes like this. Mr. Harbor, would you please escort her out?"

"No, you don't understand. I'm telling the truth. All of that happened. Remember the Cybermen? The came to my world through the Void and me an' my friend sent them back. That's how I got here. I wasn't supposed to leave. I'm not supposed to be here and I need to go back!"

Her mouth was set in a thin line. "Ms. Tyler, that really is enough." She said firmly.

Rose stood planted to where she was and crossed her arms. "No, I'm not leaving 'til you help me."

Bark looked at her with annoyance. "Mr. Harbor, ge-"

"Just listen to me!" She almost shouted. "I need help. You have a way to help me. And I have payment."

Bark's eyes were wide and her jaw was set. "I'm not interested in money."

Rose held out a clipboard she had forgotten she'd even brought along. "That's not what I was talking about. Torchwood is prepared to supply all of your technology for the prices listed there if you help me."

She watched as Bark looked over the papers with wide eyes. "Why would they allow this for you?" She asked without looking up.

Rose smirked. "Let's just say, I have a good relationship with the director."

The woman asked a few more questions concerning the deal before sighing greatly. "I suppose I could arrange something." She said reluctantly.

Rose grinned and held her hand out to shake. "Fantastic."

 **Do you think that Rose's return to the Doctor's universe will be so simple? What is in store for her as she makes this journey and will it be so easy to say goodbye? Write any weirdos in a review! y'all**


	4. Taking the Leap

**There you go. Enjoy and all that junk. I'l quit the talk so you can just get to the story. Reviews are motivation.**

Today… today was the day that Rose made it back to the Doctor. Well, actually, today was the day that she made it back to the universe that she would find him in. Although she knew that there was a long and probably harder journey ahead, she couldn't help but feel… giddy, almost, with excitement. She was going back to the Doctor and everything would be alright again.

She often fantasized her reunion with him. Her favorite version was when they'd run to each other, overwhelmingly joyous. They would shed happy tears. The Doctor would finish his sentence and they would kiss. Well, actually, she always imagined more of a snog.

But such a Hollywood ending was probably just a dream. What if the Doctor didn't want her? What if he didn't return her feelings? He'd never actually given any implication that he reciprocated. What if she hadn't really been all that important to him as she'd thought? What if he had changed from the man she knew and loved and she didn't want him anymore?

No. She would always want the Doctor. He was broken when she met him the first time and if he is broken again, she would fix him and love him back to wholeness. Even if he didn't love her back, that was fine. Really it was. Because she doesn't deserve somebody like him, but he does deserve the love of at least one thankful soul.

Well, now that angst time is done and over with, Rose thought, I can get back to actually getting back to him. At the moment, Rose was sitting at her desk anxiously awaiting Mickey to call her down to the laboratory. She'd tried to go down there earlier, but had been promptly, and literally, shoved out.

So she was sitting at her desk, waiting for something, anything to happen to give her something to do. The Time Agency had allowed her this one jump, but for their help, she had to sell almost half of their stock for a much lower price than was usually granted. Pete wasn't too happy with that, but she assured him that it was definitely worth it. Either way, the stock would grow again sooner or later.

A knock came to Rose's door and she jumped up and practically yelled when she said, "Come in!"

She expected that it was Mickey coming to tell her it was time, but when the door opened, she was met with the face of her mother.

"Mum! What are you doing here?"

Jackie put her hands on her hips and cocked her head. "Well, what a way to greet your own mum! You 'aven't changed much from when you were with 'im. Still no 'hello, Mum', 'good to see ya, Mum.' You're still not too old for a good spankin', ya know." Her mum's thick London accent complained.

Rose put her face in her hands. "Mum!"

Jackie looked up at the ceiling with an innocent face. "Still 'aven't got a hug yet."

"Mum, I'm at work. I'm about to make the most dangerous and the best decision in my life and I really can't be bothered for little things. So, what do you need?" Rose knew that the way she was speaking to her mother was less than appropriate, but she really was busy. That is, she was busy being anxious to leave and worrying about the Doctor.

Her mum sat down heavily in a chair directly in front of Rose. "Rose, that's what I wanna talk t'you about. Are you sure you really wanna do this?"

Rose scrubbed a hand over her face. "I've been over this with Mickey already. I don't need this from you too."

"But shouldn't you think it over more? You're leavin' your whole family. You're not gonna see us again. Are you prepared to do that?" Her mother pushed.

"It ain't my whole family. Not if the Doctor's not in it." She replied.

Her mum's face screwed up in worry. "But, Rose-"

"I promised him a long time ago that I was gonna stay with him. This is my chance. I want to do this, Mum. I'm goin' back to 'im." She said and she meant it.

Jackie's eyes filled with tears. "Well, then, you tell that alien that he better take care o' ya and to treat ya right or else I'm comin' to give the slap of 'is life! Parallel worlds or not!"

Rose smiled endearingly. "'Course, Mum."

Right then, the door opened and Mickey stuck his head in. Rose jumped up. "Rose, it's ready."

They all made their way down to the laboratory. As soon as they entered, Rose was whisked away to get a jumble of technological warning get spouted off at her about the time travelling risks and the TARDIS tracker. It reminded her of when she was with the Doctor and he would ramble on about all of the alien and scientific talk that she couldn't follow past the first word.

Once everything was explained to a point that she could understand, they put a Time Manipulator on her wrist and a vest covered in devices around her middle. "I'm using a Time Manipulator?" She asked the person helping her. "I practically gave all Torchwood tech just for this?"

The woman looked up. "I'm not part of the Agency, Ma'am."

"The conmen!" Rose accused. Now she knew where Jack had gotten his inspiration. They finished and Mickey came up to her to explain some more.

"Okay, Rose. What we're gonna do first is send ya back to 2007 using the Time Manipulator. This is the code for it." He held out a piece of paper. "It's hooked up to the vest, which will track the TARDIS time signature and send ya to the other dimension. Don't move the devices on there. No wires, no nothin'. You mess with one of them, you better be able to fix it.

"When you get to 2007, we'll kick you into the parallel world and you'll just be one step closer. Now, I wasn't able to fine tune the tracker as much as you'd probably like, so you'll go to places the TARDIS has been, is, or will be, but I can't ensure that you'll find him quickly."

Rose nodded. "Got it." She put the paper in her pocket and looked over herself.

"One more thing, Rose. Put this on." He held out an ear comm.

"An ear comm?"

"Yeah. So we can talk to you. When you're in the other dimension, once, you leave the time when there were cracks in the walls, our connection is gonna get cut off. We won't be able to talk to ya. You'll be on your own. Okay?"

"Yeah." She didn't really expect that, but whatever it takes. Even if it takes never seeing her family again.

A man in a lab coat announced that there were five minutes to the jump. So, Jackie, Pete and Rose's little brother, Tony, came up to say goodbye. Jackie was crying again.

Immediately, her mum threw herself at Rose and squeezed the life out of her, sobbing over her shoulder. Rose could feel her own eyes fill up with tears as she realized that she was saying her last goodbye to her mother.

"I'm gonna miss you, Mum." If anything, Jackie just cried harder. After a couple more sobs, her mum pulled away.

"Now, Tony, give your big sister a hug." The two-year old seemed all too happy to do so. He giggled when Rose tickled him under his arm.

"Rose," Pete interrupted. She straightened up. "I know that we haven't exactly known each other that long and our relationship has been somewhat… awkward, but I want you to know that, despite however long, I have enjoyed getting to know you and holding the place of your father. I'm proud of you."

She smiled at him and reached up to hug him, standing on her tiptoes. "Thanks." She released him. "And I'll miss you also."

She stepped back from them and mentally filed the image of her family in the deepest parts of her mind so that she could never forget them. "I love you." She told all of them. Then, they were ushered out of the room.

Rose pulled the paper with the code for the Time Manipulator out of her pocket and entered it. She looked over the vest to make sure that everything was in order.

"Rose! Don't touch anythin'!" She winced as Mickey scolded her.

She turned to face him. "I'm not! I ain't plannin' on messin' up my one chance at gettin' back to the Doctor."

"Sorry," He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. "Jus', be careful out there. Don't want ya gettin' hurt."

"Aww, you care!" He nudged her playfully. Then he hugged her abruptly and Rose laughed. "If all this hugging keeps up, I'm never gonna want to hug anyone ever again."

"Right, well, it's time to get goin'. Have you got the code in?" He asked. He took her wrist and typed some things on the time device. Without looking up he said, "These are both the time and location coordinates, okay?" They hugged one last time. "You ready?"

Rose nodded. Then he went and stood a safe distance away. She took a deep breath. This was it. She was finally gonna be with the Doctor again after two and a half years. It felt like forever since she'd seen him, but his face, both faces actually, were etched into her mind permanently. She couldn't forget him even if she wanted to. And she certainly didn't want to.

She stood back and smiled at everybody with moistened eyes. And they did the same. She held up her wrist so she could see the Time Manipulator. She didn't look up again in the fear that she would change her mind to stay. She pressed the activation button and in a bright flash of white light, she was gone.

 **This chapter was extremely difficult to write. I was trying my best to lengthen it, but all I got was 1,600 or around there. Next chapter will tell some of Rose's journey to find the Doctor. I'm not gonna include EVERYWHERE Rose lands, but I will mention a couple places. I'm trying to get her back to the Doctor as soon as possible, but right now, I really really need to use the restroom. So you'll have to wait.**


	5. Homeward Bound

**Hey, everybody. I'd gotten quite a few pms asking me to continue it, so I have decided to finish this story, but there won't be any sequels. Sorry if this disappoints you.**

 **I wanted to mention that the Dimension jumper device in this story is quite a lot different from the ones seen in the show, but hey, when you write the story, you can do whatever you like. So I did. Enjoy!**

Rose had never used a Time Manipulator before so she hadn't known how it was going to feel. And now she knew that she didn't really care to again. It felt like she had been ripped apart, cell by cell. One part of her going this way and another part going the other way. It was agonizing and it seemed to go on forever.

Then it stopped as soon as it had begun. All of a sudden, Rose was thrown against a brick wall, panting for breath. Her head had a dull throb and her stomach was doing jumping jacks. Once she felt steady enough, she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings.

She was in an old, filthy alley in London, but that was to be expected. She figured that Mickey set the coordinates for somewhere that no one would have noticed. She walked out and onto the sidewalk, still a tad wobbly, to be sure that she was in the right time period as well. It looked to be right. There were blimps in the sky, at least.

"Rose! Rose, can you hear me?" She winced as Mickey's voice made a whining noise in her ear.

"Yeah, I can hear you. A little too well." She added.

"Sorry, 'bout that. You're in the right spot though?"

Rose nodded. Then remembered that he couldn't see her. "Yep."

"Good. How was the jump? Did everything go smoothly?"

She laughed half-heartedly. "Actually, right now, it feels like I need a toilet. I absolutely do not like the way it works. How can those Time Agents do this so frequently?" She asked as she walked down the street.

"How do you know they do? Anyway, we're prepping the Dimension Cannon to throw you through the wall. You'd be going through the Void without a capsule though, so I don't know how the field is going to hold up."

"Field?"

"Another feature of the vest you're wearing is a protective field. We had them on those other dimension hoppers we had, but we built yours into the back of the vest. This one isn't as strong as those ones though. It's not exactly a force field, because it isn't invincible, but it can put up a fight. It ought to keep up long enough at least for you to get through, but if it falls before…it might hurt. A lot."

She decided to ignore that last part for now. She didn't want to think about anything that might stop her from getting back. "Wow. This vest is more of a multi-tasker than I am." She joked.

"Right. You have two minutes before we're ready. This is gonna take a lot of power and it will definitely take its toll on the technology placed on you. You'll want to wait a bit for everything to recharge before you take the first jump to search for the Doctor."

"Gotcha." She answered. She walked over to a newspaper stand while Mickey was silent and picked up a paper. The headlines held news about the Cybermen. It said that they had begun to disappear and although it was what they all wanted, nobody knew where they were going.

Rose knew. They were appearing in her universe, disguised as ghosts. In a few short days, a younger version of herself would get pulled into this world and lose the most important part of her. She would work harder than anything not because she didn't belong here, but because she belonged somewhere else. She belonged at the Doctor's side, fighting monsters and rescuing people.

And now she was making it all come true.

"Rose, we're ready." She walked back into the alley she had been dropped in and stood silently, waiting for instructions. Everything was silent.

"Mickey?" She asked.

She heard him sigh. "Rose, I'm gonna miss you. Everyone will. But, me especially. You're my best mate and I understand that you want to get back to the Doctor, but I want to let you know that it ain't too late. You can still come back. It's your family back here. Is one man really worth leaving them behind?"

Rose ran a hand through her hair. "Mickey, I love him. You know I do. So, you know that I'll do anything to get back to 'im. So, yes, he's worth it." She replied.

There was a momentary silence. "Alright, then. If you know what you're doing. But after this jump, you can't come back. And we won't be able to talk to you anymore. We're gonna get cut off. So I want to tell ya right now, Rose-"

"Mickey-" She interrupted. She knew what he was gonna say, but she felt so guilty that she had strung him along for so long, she wasn't sure if she could handle it.

"I hope you're happy. With him." He finished. She blinked. That wasn't what she had been expecting and if anything it made her feel worse. Mickey had always been understanding. It hurt to know that he was giving up so much for her. She was going to miss him so much.

"Thanks, Micks. You know I will be."

"Alright. We're making the jump in ten… Nine… Eight… Seven... Six... Five... Four... Three... Two... One. Goodbye, Rose."

She wasn't prepared for what happened next. She was prepared for excruciating pain to come and go in the blink of an eye, but instead, it felt like she was rushing through water, everything just flying past her. Her hair was whipping behind her and she felt like she could be blown away any second. There was not a sound to be heard. It actually, surprisingly, felt peaceful.

But then that feeling was gone. Slowly, very slowly, a burning sensation crept up her body and Rose experienced the worst pain she had ever felt in her entire existence. Her skin seemed to come apart and it felt like she was on fire. The protective field was coming apart.

It felt like the torture would go on forever. And it really was torture. There was no way that she could stop it. Mickey hadn't told her how to do that.

Rose panicked at first but then the pain began to lessen and numb. She groaned as she was pushed through some sort of thick, yet jelly-like wall. There was a blinding flash of light and then she was stumbling back into the very same alley-way that she thought she'd just left.

It didn't work. She had just gone through the most agony she'd ever been put in and it was all for nothing. She held her stomach as it made her sick and wiped her mouth when she was done.

She straightened up and looked around. Everything was exactly the same except for the time of day. It was a bit darker than it had been before. She looked up at the sky. It had to be around six o'clock at night.

"Mickey. Mickey, it didn't work. Why didn't it work?" She asked him. She waited for a response, but received none. "Mickey? Mickey can you hear me?"

She took out the earpiece and examined it. It looked to be undamaged, but why couldn't she hear Mickey, then?

She put it in her pocket and assessed her situation. She was stuck in a time and place where the only help she could receive would be from the past and there was no way that she could interfere with anything going on here.

Rose walked onto the same sidewalk she'd been on not ten minutes before. There were cars heading up and down the street in front of her. She walked past the newspaper stand again and glanced at it as she walked by.

And that's when she realized what had really happened. Rose rushed over to the stand and snatched a paper up. She read the headline in utter shock. In big, bold letters it said GHOSTS DECLARED SAFE. A photo of the blurry Cybermen was right smack dab in the center. She dropped the paper and stared at the sky.

Not a zeppelin was in sight.

Then, Rose began to laugh; actually laugh. She punched the air and let out a great whoop. Rose knew that she was probably getting the oddest looks, but she couldn't care less. She was back! She was back!

She was back and now she couldn't wait to get looking for the Doctor.

 **I always feel so sorry for Mickey. Was his goodbye believable? Do you think that he would've said it?**

 **Yay! She's back! Now she can start looking for the Doctor. But will it be as easy as she thought? How long will it take and when will she find him? Also, take guesses on when in his timeline she'll find him. For all you guys know, she might kill him. ;D Don't forget to review!**


	6. Mirage

**Sorry that this took me so long to post. I wrote aalmost all of it today, so if any of it seems goofy, that's why. Enjoy!**

There was an explosion of blinding light and Rose Tyler stumbled from the midst of it. She caught herself from falling on a small boulder. She breathed in deeply, trying to even out her breathing. She shifted herself so she was sitting on the rock and then surveyed where she had landed.

She had apparently come out of the vortex into a cold desert. There was almost nothing anywhere. There was no vegetation in sight, but there were rocks and boulders not unlike her perch scattered around. There was a biting wind tangling her hair and if she couldn't feel the slight warmth, she would've sworn there was no sun in the sky due to the clouds covering as far as she could see.

Rose's face fell into her hands as she cried tears that she had bitten back for about four months. She had been searching for the Doctor now for at least as long. When she started, she hadn't really thought about the length of time it would take and the emotional fatigue was terrible. She wasn't made to do something like this. It was easy with the Doctor; he always had a plan, always knew what to do, but she was not him. And this was killing her.

The device Mickey had built for her was working well enough, but, like he said, it wasn't fine-tuned. Sure, it brought her to locations that the TARDIS had landed, but there was no way to make sure she was at the right place in his timeline.

Sometimes, she'd land just as the TARDIS was dematerializing or, after turning over cities and forests, she just couldn't find him at all. The latter was the most frequent. She would search all over and always come up empty. She wondered if she imagined it, which made it so much harder not to fall apart every time she heard the beautiful grinding of the time machine, but not being able to see the source… or its driver.

Rose wiped her eyes and stood. She needed to find out why the device brought her here before it was too late. Walked a few paces, but didn't see much of anything interesting. It was all just so… empty.

Blowing out her breath in a huff, she walked forward determinedly. Which seemed to be quite the mistake. As she was about to land her foot on the ground in a stride, there was no ground to be found and she fell twenty feet downward. Dirt and rocks landed on top of her where she'd plummeted and it felt like she'd broken something.

"Ow," She moaned as she attempted to lift herself up with her elbow. A few small rocks bounced off her head and she reached up a hand to rub the spot. She set herself up against a dirt wall.

She was in some sort of pit dug by hand. Why anybody chose to dig a twenty-foot pit right here was beyond her. She must've not been paying very much attention at all, seeing as she fell right into it. Although, the Doctor always had said she set records for being jeopardy-friendly.

She glanced down at the Time Manipulator on her arm. It still needed time to charge. "Course it would." She spoke to herself. "Why wouldn't it when I'm stuck down here…in a not-so-friendly pit?"

Rose got up and attempted to climb the dirt walls by finding a footing and gripping the sides, but the wall was angled just the wrong way so she kept falling off with a thump. After several tries, she was sick of falling on her bottom over and over again, so she used her last resort. She called for help.

"Help! Can anyone hear me? Help!" She shouted. She knew it was almost completely hopeless, but whatever works. "Help! Help?" Her voice withered into a quieter tone and she sat down again. "Yeah, prob'ly not gonna happen."

As if that something just decided to grant her wish, there was a noise up above. Rose shot to her feet and looked up, but had to shield her eyes from the light. "Hello? Hey, can you help me? I'm down here in a hole!" Very descriptive, Rose. She chided herself. "Hello?"

A rope fell down before her, the end dangling in front of her face. Okay, she had two options: grab hold of the rope, climb to "safety", and see someone who may or may not want to kill her, or she could stay down here in the pit until the device charged back up. Besides, if whoever it was had any plans on killing her, she was sure she could hold them off until it was charged up.

Taking a chance, Rose gripped the thick rope and hauled herself upwards. She pulled herself up the wall, but there was a part of it jutting outwards that would make it less than easy to get over.

"Oi! Can I have some help here?" She shouted up. Nothing happened. "Hello?"

A tug came on the rope and she found herself being pulled up by a strong force. She used her legs to get over the formation and a pair of arms pulled her over the edge. Swinging her leg over the side, she rolled onto safe ground.

"Whew!" She said as she got up and brushed herself off. Her clothes were a disaster of dirt. "Thanks for helping me. I would've been sittin' there bored for m'life if ya hadn't come along." She joked.

Rose smiled up at the man who had rescued her. He was old and wrinkly, with silvery grey hair to match. He was wearing clothes that reminded her of a magician. They were all black with red lining. Quite silly, really. He was also staring at her with a look of humor. It was starting to freak her out.

"Oi. Mate, are ya alright?" She asked with slight annoyance.

He seemed to snap out of it. "Yes, sorry. I just find it amusing. You fell into a hole in the middle of nowhere with no one about. There wasn't even anything covering it. You just walked right in. Do you live down there or something? No one just walks right into a pit. You need to learn to look where you're going more, young missy." His Scottish accent said.

Rose stood in front of him with arms crossed and mouth agape. The cheek of the man! Who did he think he was to be so rude? "Excuse me, but I was preoccupied with much more important things."

"Really? Something more important than falling into a hole and nearly getting yourself killed? I think that's a bit of a stretch." He came back with.

"As you can see, I've come out unharmed. I think I can do and have done rather well without you telling me how to take a stroll. Who are you to do that anyway?"

"You're being very rude. Yes, you are being very, very rude. I was just helping you out of a pit and giving you sound advice, but no! You have to go be rude and say I have no right to watch out for you! Well, just who are you to tell me that, then?" He asked, pointing a finger in her face.

"You're being very rude too, I might add! What does it matter to you if I pay attention to where I'm goin'? I can go droppin' into holes whenever I like! And I don't need you to get me out of them when I do!" She raised her voice.

"Well, I think that if you keep shouting at me, I might just push you back in there and take you up on that!"

"Fine!" She stood on the edge again with her back to him and her arms raised. "Push me in."

"You can't be serious. I'm not just gonna push you in. I just put a lot a work into getting you out." His voice said from behind her.

Rose spun back around and this time, it was her turn to point fingers in people's faces. "You're a liar. I knew you wouldn't do it."

He smirked and looked at her through his incredibly thick eyebrows. "Don't press your luck."

"Was that supposed to be threatening? That was supposed to be threatening, wasn't it? I bet it was. It failed, though."

"Enough with this. Let's just go back."

She felt her own brow wrinkle in confusion. "What do you mean? Go back?"

The rude man rolled his eyes. "I mean, let's go back. To the TARDIS?"

Rose's whole body just froze. "What did you just say?"

"You're really slow today. Is everything okay in there?" He knocked on her head a little bit.

She whacked his hand away from her. "No. What did you say? Go where?"

He extended his arms with his palms facing outwards. "To the TARDIS. What else? It's not like there's much anything else out here anyway. Except pits, if that's what you mean. I still don't understand why you wanted to come here in the first place."

Rose stepped backwards in surprise. Did he just say the TARDIS? That's impossible. He's not… Wait, was he…? But, that would mean that he… Or… What? "Who are you?" She demanded.

He took a step towards her and she took one back. "Come on. You're obviously exhausted from the heat and falling down the hole. Let's go."

"It's freezing."

He looked around in feigned astonishment. "Is it? Odd. I get those two mixed up all the time. You know me, Rose." He reached for her arm, but she yanked it away.

"No, I don't know you. Who are you and how do you know who I am?" She took another step back.

"Rose-"

She interrupted him. "No! Just tell me who you are! Tell me your name!" Another step.

"Rose, you're going to fall!" He warned just as she took another step and slipped, falling backwards into the hole again. The man reached forwards and grabbed her by her arms, pulling her back to safety.

"I'm the Doctor and I save people." He said quietly, but smiled as if there was an inside joke.

"Doctor?" She whispered.

He waggled his eyebrows. "Back with us, then?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug and he tightened his hold on her in a hug. Tears were in her eyes.

The Doctor chuckled. "What's all this about then?" He asked as he pulled back.

She was confused again. "What do you mean? I'm happy to see you! I missed you. And it must've been sometime for you too. You've regenerated."

His brow was furrowed in bewilderment. "What do you mean? Of course I've…" He stopped midsentence and his face cleared up as if realizing something. Rose could just see the cogs turning in that big Time Lord brain of his.

"Doctor? Are you okay? What's wrong?" She asked. Something was not right with him. Wasn't he happy to see her after all this time?

He took a hold of her hand and looked at the Time Manipulator. "What's this on your wrist?"

She sighed, wanting to get back to their happy reunion. "My Time Manipulator. It's connected to this thingy." She touched a hand to the vest. "It got me through the parallel world and back to you. I've been using the Time Manipulator to search for you in this universe. I'll explain it all later."

The Doctor didn't seem to want to let it go though. "Rose, when was the last time you saw me?"

Okay, odd question, but she didn't really like going back to that memory. "The last time I saw you was on Bad Wolf Bay on the worst day of my life."

He shut his eyes and backed away from her. Running fingers through his hair, he spoke. "Oh, Rose."

Now she was just concerned. "Doctor, what is it? What's wrong?"

He looked back at her. "You were looking for me. Well, guess what? You found me, but not 'your' me."

Okay. What? "What do you mean 'my' you?" A theory popped into her head and she gasped. "Am I in the wrong dimension?" Frankly, the though terrified her that she might be stuck in another world with absolutely no way home. Although, she wasn't quite sure where that would be if not with the Doctor.

"No! Right universe, but wrong place in the timelines." He answered.

Yep, she was lost. "Not quite followin' you here." She said, shaking her head.

He sighed heavily. "You came here too late in my timeline. You've already gotten back to this me. My Rose is probably wandering around this place and falling into pits, but you're here. You're still looking for me and I'm very sorry, but you've still got a ways to go."

It came crashing down on her like an avalanche. She came to the wrong place. Again. Rose sat down roughly on a well-placed boulder. Why couldn't the universe just let her find him? The right him?

"Rose, I understand how you're feeling." He gripped her hand. "I felt it every time my calculations showed that it would be impossible to break the walls without destroying the universe just so I could see you again. But you've got to remember that you do find me and everything will be alright."

"I want everything to be alright, right now." She wished as her eyes welled with tears.

He held her to his chest. "I know. I know, but when you get to me, and you will get to me, we'll have the best of reunions. And I'll tell you what… we're going to be together for a long time."

A sharp beeping noise came from her wrist and she looked down at it. It was recharged now.

"Time to go." The Doctor said and she stood.

There was one more question she wanted ask. "How long, Doctor? 'Til I see you again?"

He shrugged. "You've never mentioned this meeting to me before. So I wouldn't have a fair guess. But, Rose… please don't give up. I know it's hard and I know you're tired, but don't give up. Believe me when I say it's going to be fantastic."

She smiled at his words and made a silent vow to keep looking for him. She laughed. "Just a few minutes ago, we were shoutin' at each other. Guess we'll never change." He shook his head. "Say hi to me for, well, me." She joked as she set the device up to leave.

He stepped back. "See you soon, Rose Tyler."

She took a deep breath and grinned just for him. And then she was gone.

 **I'll try to get them back together by next chapter, but maybe not. Did I portray twelve accurately? I love their arguments. I just really think that they would argue a lot. Twelve is just so rude, add I mentioned several times. Review and let me know how I did!**


	7. Nightmares and Dreams

**Yo! So here's the update! I hope it doesn't disappoint! Review please!**

It was a marvelous day. The morning sun was just rising on the horizon, lighting up the planet with its blinding rays. The grass was soft and green, making the hill look like it was covered in an emerald-colored blanket. On top of the hill was a blue police box and next to it were two people laying on a brown coat, smiling for the joy of being together.

The man grasped the woman's smaller and in his and kissed it. He gazed into her eyes and smiled softly. She gave him a quizzical look. "What?"

Shrugging, he looked back at the sky. "Nothing special. No. Wait. Scratch that. It is something special."

The blonde giggled at him. "And what, pray tell, is so special?"

He switched his attention back to her and said, "Well, I was just thinking about a story I know. The oldest one in the universe and the best one too."

"Tell me."

"Okay," he cleared his throat to tell the story. "there was this man. He was traveling and he met this girl. Beautiful, she was. Blonde hair, brilliant smile. All pink and yellow. Like the sky just there." He nodded to the sunrise. "But we all know it isn't just about features. That sky looks gorgeous, but it's really all just gasses and fumes from the city floating up into the atmosphere. The sun is painting them different colors and making it appear the way it is."

"So, this girl is actually full of gasses and just makes herself look nice?" She joked.

He chuckled. "No, not at all. This girl was brave and intelligent. She did what was right just because it was and she stopped others from doing the wrong thing because it wasn't. The man had been broken. He was so, so broken and lost. But since he met her, she had healed him and changed his life forever. They travel all over the cosmos, saving others and each other at the same time. They're the stuff of legends. And you know what?" He asked.

She shook her head, still grinning.

He placed his hand on her cheek. "I love her so much for that." He leaned in gently, their breaths mingling, but just as his lips were about to make contact with hers, his arms were empty and she was gone.

He jumped to his feet and realized that his surrounding had changed. No longer was he on a hillside watching a sunrise with the woman he loved. The world around him was a steady, smoky grey. Nothing was happening. It was just him and the grey.

Where was she?! He needed to find her. She wasn't supposed to leave him. He needed to protect her!

"Rose! Rose!" He called out into the greyness. But there was no sound. Nothing.

Without warning, the ground beneath him collapsed and he was falling into a deep, dark pit. Darkness swallowed him up. He continued falling and falling. Never stopping, never slowing. All that was became pitch black and, although he couldn't see it, something plunged into his chest and ripped out his heart.

He screamed in agony, but there was no one to hear it, to rescue him. His throat burned with his cry of torture and there were cold tears streaming down his face. The hole in his chest didn't stop there though. It bled into his mind and body, feeding off of his being. All the while, he was sinking into this world that could only be described as hell.

There was no relief. Nowhere was there any place of shelter. He couldn't even see! He was so lost and there was no freedom from the pain that tore through him over and over again.

And it never stopped until, out of nowhere, he dropped onto a hard, cold floor. He reached out in front of him and his hand met a glass wall. Almost instantly, a small light began to shine from behind it.

Placing his hand up against the light, he stood and listened for anything. When there was nothing to be heard, the man peered in and saw something coming out of the brightness. It was…a person. It was…

It was her!

He threw himself up against the glass and thrashed against it. All he wanted was to get to the other side so he could hold her, the one he loved, but it was no use. The wall didn't budge and the glass wouldn't break. Nothing was working!

After a few minutes of failed attempts, he crumpled to the ground in a sobbing mess and the light was extinguished from his sight. Once again, he was drowned in the infinite blackness.

"Doctor! Doctor!" The Doctor jolted up, nearly knocking Donna in the face. He was sprawled across a sofa in the TARDIS's library. He must've fallen asleep there while reading.

"Doctor, are you alright?" His concerned companion asked. She was leaning over him with a worried expression on her face.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

She pointed at him. "You're crying."

The Doctor reached up and swiped a hand across his cheek. It was wet. He scrubbed a hand down his face to dry it.

"What happened?" Donna asked.

He shook his head. "It was nothing," he said to get her to leave the subject. But Donna was never very good at leaving things alone.

She placed a hand on her hip. "Didn't look like nothing." She commented and then sat down beside him. "Do you want to talk 'bout it?"

He stayed silent, because, honestly, he absolutely did not want to talk about it. It wasn't any of her business anyway. She'd never even met Rose before.

But she had to keep on persisting. "Doctor-" He stood, cutting her off.

"I'm fine. Donna, look, I'm fine. It doesn't matter." He left the room without a second thought. There had to be some sort of maintenance he could do on the TARDIS to keep his mind off things.

"So," Donna began as she entered the console room. "Where next, Spaceman?"

The Doctor jumped up from underneath the console and began to dance around it, flipping controls as he went. "Well, I actually need some parts for the TARDIS, so we'll be going to a marketplace next."

"Great! Love a good shopping spree." She replied.

He set the coordinates and activated the dematerialization sequence. Within no time at all, they had landed.

"Crona!" The Doctor exclaimed as they exited the police box onto a dusty street swarming with people buying and selling. "The mightiest nation on the planet of Poosh. Or at least, they will soon be the mightiest. Right now, they're just about average. In a hundred years or so, the son of their king will build an empire that will last for over two thousand years. Amazing, really."

"Alright, you go get those parts you need and I'm gonna go clothes shoppin'." She began to walk away, but then stopped. "Oh."

"What?"

She turned back around. "You don't happen to have any cash on you, do you?"

Sighing exaggeratingly, he dug around in his pockets for the money he had brought specifically for the TARDIS parts. Good thing he had extra. "There's forty kads. That's their currency." She snatched it and started off again. "Don't spend it all in one place!" He called after her.

"'Course I will!" She laughed back.

He shook his head fondly. Now, where was that one stall?

Rose took in her surroundings. She had just landed in some alleyway. Why was it always alleyways? She looked at her coordinates and saw that she was in Crona on a planet called Poosh. Wherever that was. Although she had been traveling all over for a few months, she still had no idea about planets and things like that. There was still just so much out there!

She walked out of the alleyway and into a marketplace. There were vendors shouting out deals and prices about their goods. Customers were swarming all over the place, searching and talking and buying.

The people were all the same. They looked like humans, but had strange markings on their foreheads. They were dressed in robes like the ones she saw when she landed on Keeza. Not many people really glanced her way, as they were preoccupied with their own business.

Rose decided that she better get going if she was actually planning on searching for the Doctor here. She weaved through the busy people of Crona, occasionally glancing at the stalls and their goods. Just because she was traveling most of the time didn't mean that she couldn't take care of herself by shopping every once in a while. Although, she didn't really have much of a place to take it when she got it. Usually, she just stayed the night wherever she ended up.

At one jewelry stall, she noticed a human woman, or something that looked like one, that was examining some of the pieces displayed there. Curious, she walked over to speak with her and see just where she was from.

"It's beautiful." She commented about the necklace the ginger woman was holding. "You should get it."

She looked up, startled, but then smiled kindly. "No. I don't need something like that. It would look silly on me."

"'Course it wouldn't. Here, let me see." She took the necklace and held it up against the woman's neck. "There. Ya see? Gorgeous."

The woman didn't especially look convinced. "I don't know."

Why couldn't she see it? "No, I mean it. It looks beautiful. Look at yourself." She held up the mirror that was set on the table while still holding the necklace up with one hand and allowed her to see it.

The ginger gazed at herself for a second before giving a small laugh and looking at Rose. "You know what? I think you're right." She took the necklace from Rose and spoke to the vendor. "Hey, you there. I'll take this."

Rose smiled at her while she handed over the money.

"D'you do this for everyone? Walking 'round givin' people advice?"

She laughed. "No. I'm actually lookin' for a friend of mine. Been for a while now."

The woman nodded in understanding. "Know exactly what you mean. Got me a friend, always running off. Never know when you're gonna see'm next." The vendor handed her the box with the necklace inside. "Thanks."

They began to walk away from the stall and down the lane in the direction Rose had been heading earlier. "So, what're you doin' here?"

"Well, me and that friend have been travelin' for a while. He was getting' parts for our ship, so I decided to go shopping."

"Good idea. How long have you been traveling?" She inquired.

She shrugged. "I dunno. A few months. But I love it. There's just so much out there. So much to see. How can I stay home knowin' that?"

Rose grinned at her. "That's exactly how I used to be."

"What made you stop?"

"I didn't want to, really. So, what places have you gone to?" She changed the subject, really not wanting to talk about that with a stranger.

"I've been everywhere. It's all so amazing! My friend and I go to the most wizard places. And he's amazing too, my friend, that is. He is so intelligent, I don't know why he bothers with me."

Rose was surprised by this woman's low self-esteem. "What d'you mean? Why shouldn't he?"

"Well, I'm nothing special. Just a temp from Chiswick, me."

They stopped walking. "'Course you are. I've only known you for a few minutes and even I can see that. I'm just a London girl from the estates and look at me. Here I am on an alien world. Anyone who can't see how special you are is blind and prob'ly a jerk anyway."

The woman smiled, but didn't look persuaded. "I should be getting' back to my friend. He'll be waitin' for me. Oh! There he is."

Rose looked to where the woman was pointing and her heart stopped.

Not thirty feet away, talking to a vendor while holding some sort of mechanical part, was the Doctor.

 **I am really proud of the dream part that I put in there. I tried to make it tell the story of how he lost her. They were so happy and in love and then she was gone. Once that happened, the Doctor fell into depression. He looked for any way to get back, but he couldn't get through the wall to Pete's world without destroying both. Thoughts on this?**

 **I also get so sad whenever Donna thinks so little of herself. Look at her. She is an amazing woman! Even without the Doctor she was. To bad we didn't see more of her. Does anyone agree?**

 **Do I also didn't exactly give you a reunion yet. But I promise that in the next chapter you will. Review please!**


	8. The Light To My Darkness

"Are you sure that you couldn't go any lower?" The Doctor asked the vendor. "I need this part and all I have is 450 kads."

The gruff man didn't care how much he had. "Sorry, unless you've got 500, it stays with me. Come back later with more and I'll be right here to sell it to ya."

The Doctor groaned in frustration and mumbled, "Really shouldn't have given that money to Donna." He placed the part back where it belonged and began to walk away, trying to stuff the money back in his pocket. Speaking of which, where is Donna?

He scanned the crowd and his eyes fell upon her red hair. He started walking towards her, but when he saw who was standing next to her, he stopped dead in his tracks.

His lungs stopped working and he was sure that if he didn't have two hearts, he would have had a coronary, because at least one of them stopped beating.

It was her.

"Rose."

She was just standing there next to Donna, with a look of shock on her face that he must also have. His mind was flooded with questions. How was she here? Why was she here? Was she here with another him? Why is she with Donna? How long has it been for her?

But all of them were wiped away as he slowly, but surely began to walk towards her. Towards Rose. She mirrored his actions and they both began running at top speed, people dodged out of the way so they wouldn't get knocked down, but neither of them gave any attention to anyone but the other.

At the last few yards, their arms were already outstretched to hold each other and they fell into each other's embrace. He hugged her like his life depended on it and, now that he has her back, it might just.

He pulled back just slightly and looked into her eyes. Oh, those eyes. Those eyes had once held the Time Vortex. Those eyes saw him as a good man, not as what he was. Those eyes were the most beautiful things he's ever known.

"Rose?" His voice cracked with emotion. "Am I dreaming again?"

She grinned. "If you are, then don't you dare wake up." The Doctor laughed lightly and for a few seconds, they just stared at each other, in complete astonishment that they actually could.

Slowly, they started to drift closer and closer until their lips made contact and they kissed each other just so sweetly. It was slow and steady at first, because they both just wanted to savor the feeling of showing each other exactly what they meant to the other, but then it became more passionate. He held her tighter and her hands had gone to his hair, ruffling it and scraping his scalp.

He decided right then and there that this was the best feeling in the universe. In this moment, it felt like the world, all worlds, revolved around them. In this moment, stars burned brighter than before and everything just took a calm. In this moment, everything was right in the universe, because the Doctor could feel none of it. Nothing. All his senses were turned toward a little pink and yellow human. And there was nothing better than that.

They slowed back down again and they broke apart, resting their foreheads against each other. Rose was gasping for breath, but she still had enough air to say, "No, definitely not a dream, then."

They just grinned at each other, still unaware of Donna's attempts to break them out of that trance. "Oi! Spaceman! I'm talkin' to you!"

He whipped around, still holding Rose in his arms. "What?"

"Would someone care to explain to me why the stranger I was talking to and the man I travel with suddenly decided to run up and snog?" She asked with a hand on her hip and an annoyed look on her face, waiting for an answer.

"Uh-well, Donna, this is Rose Tyler. Rose, this is Donna Noble." He gestured in turn to both.

Donna's eyes went wide and her jaw slacked. "Hold on, Rose? As in theRose?" She looked to him and he nodded in reply. She laughed. "Oh my goodness!" She rushed toward Rose and gave her an abrupt hug. "I've heard so much about you! You're all he talks about!"

Rose smiled and gazed teasingly at the Doctor. "Am I?"

His face turned red and he reached up an arm to scratch his neck. "Well,"

Suddenly, a horn sounded out and the noise of the crowds hushed into a quiet whisper. People began making their way inside and others rushed to their houses which were farther away.

Donna and Rose looked around in confusion. "Doctor, what's goin' on?" Rose asked.

He started walking with Rose holding onto his arm. "It's sort of a ritual the Cronans have. Every day, the people go into their houses and read from the historical scrolls of their nation. Every household has them. It's illegal to skip this ritual and the punishment for it is life in prison. Imagine that. Just one day of not reading the scrolls and you're doomed to live in a cell for the rest of your life. Which means, unless we want to get thrown in jail, then we better get back to the TARDIS."

When they encountered the TARDIS, Rose stopped and stared at it. The Doctor looked to her questionably and asked her what was wrong.

"It's just…I've spent so long looking for that ship and so many times, it's disappeared right in front of me. Just within reach. This is the first time that I'll even be able to touch it since that day." She had tears in her eyes now.

The Doctor held her by her shoulders gently. "Rose, you know that I can't guarantee we'll never be separated again, but I promise that I will do everything in my power to make sure it doesn't happen." He pulled her to him in a warm hug that they held for a few seconds before heading to the TARDIS.

He opened the door and slowly, Rose walked inside, completely in awe of the place she still thought of as home. Everything was exactly the same. The coral struts still stood tall and the console had the very glow that it had always given off.

The tears in her eyes began to spill down her cheeks at the sight. The Doctor was at her side instantly. "Rose?" She looked at him and then turned back, entering the ship fully. She never knew how much she had missed this place. Walking in, it felt like the first time ever being there. The amazement and wonder filled her again and it was fantastic.

Donna was leaning against the console, facing them and smiling. Rose walked up to the controls and ran her hand along them, almost like a hug to the TARDIS. The ship hummed happily as if in reply. Rose smiled and whispered, "I missed you, too."

Donna shoved off the console and walked down to where the Doctor was watching Rose. "So, you've got Rose back and that's good, but I thought you said she couldn't come back. I thought you said that she was somewhere out of your reach. So how come she's here?"

"Good question." He bounded up the ramp to Rose. "Rose, can I talk to you?"

She looked a bit startled by this suggestion, but nodded nonetheless. "Yeah, sure."

"Now, well you're chattin', I think I deserve a bubble bath for finding your 'lady love'." She told them and went off down the corridor.

Rose grinned at him. "I like her. Where'd you pick her up, then?" She asked.

"That's actually what we need to talk about. Rose," he paused, wondering if he really wanted to know, but it didn't matter if he wanted to know; he needed to know. "How long has it been since Bad Wolf Bay?"

"Doesn't matter. "

"Rose." He said, his voice stern.

She blew out a breath and averted her eyes. "Three years. Three years since the last time I saw you."

Unwarranted guilt washed over him. "Rose, I'm sorry. If it weren't for me-"

"It's not your fault. It really isn't. It wasn't any of our fault. We just did what we had to to save the world. If you're gonna blame anything, blame that big, stupid Earth out there. Blame fate or destiny or whatever it is, because, Doctor," He felt her hand on his face, urging him to look at her. "Although I hated all of my time in the parallel universe and searching for you and everything, I still think… I think that it made me a better person. Because I got taken there, lessons were learned, the future was insured, things were said that never would've gotten said had I not thought I was never gonna see you again." He knew just what words were said there and that, even now, he was still too coward to say it. "So, don't say it's your fault. Don't do that to yourself."

"Rose, how did you get here?" He changed the subject to keep the focus off himself. "The walls were too strong, nothing should've happened that you'd be able to make it through safely. So, how did you do it?"

She sighed and he knew that she was annoyed by the rapid change in subjects. "Well, after I was told that it would be absolutely impossible to get back to you, there was someone in my office from that world's Time Agency who was there to sign off for some equipment. You'll never guess who it was." She grinned at him and was practically bouncing in her seat.

Wait, hold on. It can't be. "No!"

Rose laughed happily and he realized just how much he actually missed that laugh. It was beautiful and melodious. If she could hear what his brain was thinking, she'd probably tease him for the words he used. He meant it though. The way her eyes crinkled up when she smiled through her laugh was so adorable. And occasionally, her tongue would poke out between her teeth, making him get distracted from whatever it was he would be doing.

It occurred to him right then, that Rose was talking to him. "It was Jack! But, Doctor," At this point she got a crazy grin on her face and she could barely talk for laughing so hard. "Doctor, he was a nerd!" His eyes went wide as he tried to imagine his friend in taped glasses with pens in his front pocket. "He wasn't a super cool conman Jack. He was a techie!"

"I don't believe you." He shook his head, laughing.

"No, I'm not jokin'!" They calmed down a bit. "Anyway, I got the idea to travel back in time to when the rift was open an' I could slip through to this universe. It took some convincin' and lots of tech to get the Agency to even give me a Time Manipulator, but I got 'em to."

He grinned at her proudly. 'Course she did. Rose was brilliant.

"After a few weeks, everythin' was ready. I traveled back to 2007 and when the thingy," She gestured to the vest. "was recharged – still don't know what it's called – I went through the Void."

The Doctor's head snapped up when he heard that last part. "But, you went without a capsule! Were you okay? Rose, that's gotta be-"

"I know." She held up a hand, cutting him off. "I was the one who went through it. But look at me," she prompted when he started to fuss again. "I'm fine. Torchwood fixed me up with some sort of field. Protected me well enough. At least, it lasted long enough to get me through."

The Doctor was certainly displeased with this, but he decided it wouldn't do anything to argue over it. It was over now. So, he kept his mouth shut.

"When I got here," she continued. "I immediately started looking for you. I thought it would be so easy. Mickey fixed up this…" She waved her hands around, searching for a good description. "TARDIS tracker sort of thing. It locked onto the TARDIS's time signature and brought me to where she would be."

He smiled at the way she talked about the TARDIS, calling the ship "she" rather than "it." Ever since Bad Wolf, Rose had had a unique connection to her and seemed to think of her as more of a living being than an object. Rarely had his companions completely understood the extent of the TARDIS's sentience. Rose had always been special though.

"So, I looked for a while and, look, I found you!" She said rather quickly.

"Hold on. What happened while you were searching?" He asked. It didn't make sense that it would be as easy as she made it sound. There would have to be something more. "How long were you out there?"

"Doesn't matter." She dismissed quickly. "So, didja keep my room? Where is it?"

"Rose," Why was she acting like this? What happened that she wouldn't want to tell him? "How long? What happened?"

She looked at him pointedly. "Doctor, it really doesn't matter. It's all gone now. Don't worry 'bout it."

They stood there in awkward tension for a few seconds. Neither knowing quite what to say or what to do.

"So, how did ya get Donna?" Rose asked to break the silence.

"Well, it's a bit of a long story." She walked over to the jump seat and prompted him to sit beside her.

"I'm not plannin' on goin' anywhere." He smiled at the thought. "Get on with it then." She prompted.

"Well," He began. "The first time I met her actually, was right after…" The Doctor paused with a faraway look on his face. He looked sad. "Well, I had barely collected myself from saying goodbye to you when she appeared on the TARDIS and started shouting at me."

Rose chose not to think about Bad Wolf Bay and instead commented on the fact that Donna had been shouting at him. "Why would she shout at you?" She asked, finding it humorous.

"She said I kidnapped her. I didn't though. She materialized in the TARDIS during her wedding."

Rose's mouth hung open. "During her wedding?!"

"Yeah. She just popped up here in her wedding gown and slapped me!" Rose burst out laughing. "Your mum started it all! I've been slapped three times since then!"

"I'm sure you deserved it."

He ignored this and continued his story. "Anyway, we solved it all, eventually finding out that her fiancé was actually in league with the Empress of the Racnoss. Giant, spider, alien... thing." He clarified. "Donna didn't travel with me then, however. I traveled alone for a bit, not really wanting any company. Or needing it really.

"But then, while I was investigating something going on in a hospital, I met a med student named Martha Jones. She helped me solve all of that and I offered her a 'thank you trip.' She said yes and I took her to see Shakespeare. Apparently, Queen Elizabeth the First wants my head!"

"Well, I must say, it is a rather good-looking one." Rose grinned with her tongue sticking out of her teeth ever so slightly and he caught himself staring at her mouth when she snapped him out of it.

"Yes! The hair is rather nice." He ran his hand through said hair for emphasis.

"You're full of it." He chuckled. "So, what happened to our Martha Jones?" She asked. He seemed to talk so easily of her, so she assumed that nothing horrible happened.

"Um, well, let's just say I didn't feel the same way about her as she did about me." He scratched his neck in an uncomfortable manner as Rose's eyes widened.

"Oh." She licked her lips and shifted in her seat. "Did she, you know, act on any of these feelings?"

"She didn't and I didn't do anything to encourage her either. I knew early on what she thought of me, so I made a point not to."

"Mhmm." Rose hummed, obviously unconvinced.

"Shortly after Martha left, I was investigating a company called Adipose-"

"Oh, that's right! My Torchwood team took care of that. Little fat creatures, right? Look like marshmallows with faces and limbs?"

The Doctor nodded. "That's them. I was listening in on a conversation between Matron Cofelia and a reporter and I saw Donna through a window in the door. She'd apparently been looking for me ever since the Racnoss. We solved all of the Adipose mess and she started traveling with me then."

Rose nodded in acceptance. "Yeah, okay. I must say though, my story was way more exciting."

"What are you talking about? You haven't heard anything yet! For instance, there was the time when Martha and I got stuck in 1969. We had to live in a flat for two months!"

"Um, sorry. It's just, you said you both had to live in the same flat for two months?"

The Doctor immediately saw his error in telling Rose this information. "Well, actually I think that your story may be a bit more interesting."

"Yeah, it better be." She mumbled.

"So!" He exclaimed, jumping up from his spot. "Where d'you wanna go first? Hmm? Oh! I could finally take you to see Barcelona! The planet, not the city. Or" He began running around the console and flipping switches as he went. "We could sneak in on the filming of White Christmas! Don't know what made me think of that. Maybe we could-"

"Doctor," Rose interrupted. "Aren't you forgetting someone?" Forgetting someone? Who could he be forgetting? "Donna? She's in the bath."

"Oh, right. Wouldn't do to go on an adventure and leave her during a soak."

"I have an idea." She fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "Perhaps, we could find my old room? You do still have it don't you?" She asked, looking worried.

"Yes! 'Course I do. Never moved it. It's in the same spot as always." The Doctor was somewhat surprised that she would think he'd delete it. She meant much more to him than that.

"Right. I'll just go an' get settled, then." Rose moved toward the corridor and the Doctor followed her. Although the Doctor had said her room was in the same spot, she was still somewhat surprised when she saw the dark wooden door with a rose carved onto it.

She reached out a hand and twisted the handle to open the door. She let it swing open so she could look in and see the room. Hesitantly, she walked in and studied every detail to see any difference, but there was none. It was the exact same as it was when she left it.

Her laundry was still piled up in the corner where she threw it because she kept neglecting to get a hamper. Her pictures were still in the same place, taped all over the walls. Her souvenirs were on the exact spot she'd left them on her dresser.

There was only one thing different. Rose knew that she hadn't made her bed before she left. She never did. Not only was her bed made, but it had also been laid on. The Doctor must've come in here after she'd left.

"Doctor," She turned to him. "Did you… sleep in here?"

She expected him to promptly say no, but instead he just shifted uncomfortably. "Well…"

"Why?" She was genuinely curious as to why he would do that.

"I missed you." He was looking directly at her when he said this and Rose was the slightest bit startled by the seriousness in his eyes. "When you were gone, this was the closest I could get to you. Whenever I came in here, I could pretend you were right here with me."

Rose walked right up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. "You don't need to pretend anymore."

 **Yeah, I know. It ends kinda abruptly, but did you like the reunion? Was it believable or did it go too quickly? I have edited it over and over again, not thinking that it was good enough. What do you think? Please let me know. I am anxious to see what you guys think!**

 **I am so excited to get started on the adventures! Basically, I'm planning on finishing the season with Rose and I'll probably end it there. If I have time later on, I might make a sequel with Rose in season 5. Maybe. Review please!**


	9. Midnight, Part 1

**Not ten minutes ago, I found out about Clara in Face the Raven. I'm about to die!**

 **So here we are with a new chapter. I'm starting them off with Midnight, but I'm actually going to come back after this episode with Silence in the Library. This episode was extremely difficult to write due to so many people talking at once. Hopefully it worked out though. Let me know in a review. Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends.**

* * *

The TARDIS sat alone in a large resort hotel room. Her Thief had decided to take the Wolf on a leisurely vacation for her first trip and he let the TARDIS choose. Not many times had he let her take control like that, but she liked it. Sure, she often ignored whatever he planned for them to go anyway, but it was nice for him to actually allow her for once.

She had taken them to the planet Midnight, which was made entirely of diamonds, but the atmosphere of the planet was weak, letting through the x-tonic radiation from the sun. Meaning, no one could get to the valuable minerals that Midnight was made of without getting vaporized.

About four hundred years from the time she'd landed in, the Leisure Palace Company transformed Midnight into a Leisure Planet, building Leisure Palaces all over. That's where she brought her three occupants. Not only had she known that they would enjoy it, but she felt something in the timelines tugging her there. There was probably an adventure waiting for them.

The TARDIS remembered back to the times before her Thief had lost his Wolf. He had always been so happy. Adventures weren't just for the wonder of seeing the planet and learning new things; he traveled because he wanted to see her smile. He had done everything for her smile.

But then she had been ripped away from her Thief. The TARDIS had watched as he delved into his adventures just to keep his thoughts away from the Wolf. The dark-skinned girl had helped a bit, but then the flame-haired woman came and he had a friend.

The Wolf was here now and already in the single day she'd been back, the TARDIS had seen the difference in her Thief. He'd hardly left the Wolf's side, even sitting in while she slept. The TARDIS was happy for him, but she realized that there was a trial coming that neither of them expected. And it was coming soon.

* * *

"Maybe if we ask her one more time…"

Rose groaned. "Doctor, just let her rest. This trip is for her too." She pointed out.

"Look!" He pointed at a public telephone, grinning. "How convenient."

She rolled her eyes as he slipped a coin of some sort into the slot and asked for a Donna Noble. Right as he opened his mouth to speak, she heard Donna's refusal from the other end and his face fell.

"Sapphire waterfall. It's a waterfall made of sapphires!" His eyes lit up as he spoke enthusiastically about the attraction. "This enormous jewel, size of a glacier reaches the Cliffs of Oblivion, and then shatters into sapphires at the edge. They fall a hundred-thousand feet into a crystal ravine."

There was a slight pause as Donna likely replied with something snarky.

"Oh, come one. They're boarding now! Four hours, that's all it takes." Rose sighed, wishing she actually knew what was being said on both ends. "You be careful. That's X-tonic sunlight." Another pause. "Alright, I give up. We'll be back for dinner. What do you say we try that anti-gravity restaurant?"

Rose nodded vigorously and whispered, "With bibs."

"With bibs." He added. "See you later." He shrugged as Donna spoke again. "Nah. Taking a big space truck with a bunch of strangers across a diamond planet called Midnight? What could possibly go wrong?"

He hung up the phone and looked to Rose who was gaping at him with her arms limp at her sides.

"What?"

"Did you really just say that nothing could possibly go wrong?"

"Well, actually, I asked what could."

She shook her head. "I can't believe you did that. Whenever anybody says that, somethin' always goes wrong. Somethin' bad's gonna happen now. I know it."

The Doctor grabbed her hand as they strode toward the shuttle. "Rose, the worst that can happen is one of the passengers is a fugitive murderer who is plotting on killing us all." They both stopped in their tracks as they considered this. "Probably not."

"Hopefully not."

They entered and took their seats, Rose at the window. They watched as the Hostess passed through the aisle with a cart, speaking to a blonde woman in a blue suit.

"…complimentary juice pack and complimentary peanuts," She was saying.

"Just the headphones, please." The Hostess handed it to her and then made her way over to them.

"That's the headphones for channels one to thirty-six. Modem link for 3D video games." She handed each of the items to him as she said them and he passed them off to Rose. "Complimentary earplugs. Complimentary slippers. Complimentary juice pack and complimentary peanuts." By the time she was done, Rose's arms were full and she struggled to stuff the things in her pockets. "I must warn you: some products may contain nuts."

"That'll be the peanuts." The Doctor informed her and Rose stifled a giggle.

The Hostess, looking slightly annoyed, turned back to him and said, "Enjoy your trip."

"Oh, I can't wait! Allons-y!" He grinned at her as she looked at him.

"I'm sorry?"

"It's French, for let's go."

"Fascinating." The Hostess replied in a way that said she really wasn't interested at all. She moved her cart to the people behind them and started giving them the "complimentary spiel."

Rose leaned over to him and whispered, "I don't think she likes you."

"What are you talking about?" He asked, feigning incredulity. "Everybody likes me."

She patted his shoulder, consolingly. "Yeah, you just keep thinking that."

"Oi!"

The man in the seat behind him reached his arm up to shake the Doctor's hand, nearly knocking Rose on the head. "Hobbes. Professor Winfold Hobbes."

"I'm the Doctor. Hello!"

"And I'm Rose." She gave a little wave at him and he flushed.

"It's my fourteenth time." The Professor informed them.

"Oh!" He looked over at Rose. "Our first."

The Professor's young black assistant leaned over the seat as well and shook their hands. If Rose could be perfectly honest, the girl had a better grip than her employer. "Dee Dee. Dee Dee Blasco."

"Don't bother them!" The Professor scolded her, completely unaware of the fact that he'd just done the exact same thing. "Where's my water bottle?" He asked when they sat down again.

Rose looked behind them at the passengers closer to the back. Two parents were arguing with their teenage son about sitting next to them, even saying that they had slippers, like that was going to bring him over.

"Well, at least we won't get bored." She said.

"Ooh! Yes! I get the slippers!" He snatched them from her hands.

"Fine, but I get the peanuts." She opened the package and began snacking on them.

"Careful." She raised an eyebrow. "It may contain nuts."

"You never know," She joked.

The Hostess made her way up to the front of the shuttle and began speaking to the guests. "Ladies and gentlemen, and variations thereupon, welcome on board the Crusader Fifty. If you would fasten your seatbelts, we'll be leaving any moment. Doors."

The doors automatically sealed shut and when she ordered it, the shields went down too.

"I'm afraid the view is shielded until we reach the Waterfall Palace. Also, a reminder: Midnight has no air, so please don't touch the exterior door seals. Fire exit at the rear and, should we need to use it, you first." She giggled at her own joke. "And now I will hand you over to Driver Joe."

A screen lit up in front of them with their travel plan displayed and a voice came through the speakers. "Driver Joe at the wheel. There's been a diamondfall at the Winter Witch Canyon, so we'll be taking a slight detour, as you'll see on the map."

The Doctor slipped on his specs. A little orange square moved across the screen with orange dots trailing behind it, eventually splitting into two different sets of dots. One set representing the originally intended path and the second representing the new one.

"The journey covers 500 kliks to the Multifaceted Coast. Duration is estimated at four hours. Thank you for traveling with us and, as they used to say in the olden days, wagons roll."

The voice stopped and the shuttle shook a bit as they began their descent. "For your entertainment, we have the Music Channel playing retrovids of Earth classics," The Hostess said as she pressed a button on a remote and a screen came down in front of each seat, playing Raffaella Carra singing "Do It Again."

Rose looked over at the Doctor with an expression that screamed for help. He simply shrugged in amusement.

"Also, the latest artistic installment from Ludovico Klein." A colorful hologram appeared in the midst of the room, doing a spinning motion. "Plus, for the youngsters, a rare treat." She turned around and pulled down a projector screen and the actual projection started playing over her face. "The Animation Archives. Four hours of fun time. Enjoy!"

She then retreated to the back of the shuttle. Rose and the Doctor examined everything around them, music and cartoons blaring in their ears. Rose grasped his arm and said into his ear, "Help me."

He smirked at her and then pulled out his sonic screwdriver, which he then proceeded to use to turn off all the "entertainment." Really he hadn't minded it, his thoughts would've been on things other than Betty Boop, but since Rose asked…

"Well, that's a mercy." He heard the Professor say from behind them and it seemed, from the look on the face of the woman who was sitting alone in the front, she agreed.

Coming back towards the front, the Hostess apologized, clicking on her remote to get everything back up and working. "I do apologize, ladies and gentlemen, and variations thereupon. We seem to have had a failure of the Entertainment System."

"Oh!" The Doctor said, faking disappointment.

"That's just too bad," Rose added with an adorable pout on her lips. The Doctor smiled at her.

"But, what do we do?" The red-headed woman asked.

"We've got for hours of this? Four hours of sitting here?" Her husband asked.

Rose shifted out of the way as the Doctor turned around in his seat and exclaimed, "Tell you what, we'll have to talk to each other instead." Rose covered her mouth with the back of her hand to prevent a laugh as he looked at the faces of the other passengers, who didn't seem to think much of the Doctor's idea.

* * *

 **98 Kliks Later**

The Doctor was sitting on his knees in a seat, facing Biff and Val, the red-head and her husband, who were telling a story about an abstract pool. Rose decided that she would go meet the silent woman in the front while they talked.

"Hello there," She approached the woman. "D'you mind if I sit with ya?"

The woman shook her head and Rose sat down next to her.

"I'm Rose. What's your name?"

She put down her book and smiled. "I'm Sky Silvestry. Nice to meet you."

Rose grinned at her. "So, is this your first time to the falls?" She asked, trying to start up conversation.

"It is. First time I've been to the planet also. I've been traveling around, all over the place. You see, I've recently found myself single." Sky answered.

"I'm sorry." Rose consoled her, but then curiosity overwhelmed her and she had to ask, "What happened?"

"Well, the usual. She said she needed her own space. Went to a different galaxy actually. I reckon that's enough space, don't you think?"

"You'll find someone eventually. I did."

"Are you and him…?"

Rose looked down at her hands. "I don't know what we are." She paused for a little bit before continuing. "We got…separated. And now we just got back to each other a day ago. Not much of a chance to analyze our relationship yet."

"But you know what you want it to be." She stated.

Rose stood rather abruptly, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. "Excuse me. I'll just be in the loo."

* * *

 **128 Kliks Later**

"I'm just a second-year student, but I wrote a paper on the Lost Moon of Poosh," Dee Dee was saying as she poured the Doctor a cup of coffee and poured herself one too. "Professor Hobbes read it, liked it, took me on as researcher, just for the holidays. Well, I say researcher. Most of the time he's got me fetching and carrying. But it's all good experience." She assured him.

"And did they ever find it?" The Doctor asked.

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Find what?"

"The Lost Moon of Poosh."

"Oh, no. Not yet." She replied, giggling at the thought that it would have been.

"Well. Maybe that'll be your great discovery, one day." He raised his cup. "Here's to Poosh."

"Poosh." She raised her cup as well and they toasted to the planet.

* * *

 **209 Kliks Later**

The Doctor moved back to the seats he and Rose had originally taken and saw her curled up with her eyes closed. She was sleeping. He brushed a few hairs away from her eyes and internally laughed at how silly the action was.

Sometimes, when they'd been the only two on the TARDIS, they would be in the library, sitting on a sofa and he would read to her. She would snuggle into him as she listened to his voice and felt it reverberating in his chest.

More often than not, she would fall asleep, leaning against him. He had never admitted it to her, but times like these were the ones he cherished most. Times like these, he was able to look at her and let his emotions take hold of him and not be afraid. Times like these, he allowed himself to love her so completely without fear, because he knew she couldn't see it.

While they would sit there in the TARDIS library, he would shift so that they would be more comfortable and he would fall asleep as well. He would always wake up before her and leave before she did. Sure, he loved her and he wasn't afraid to admit it to himself, but he'd thought that if he'd told her and then lost her, that he wouldn't be able to bear it.

Now that he had her lost once, he knew that he was wrong. It hurt more. Just knowing that she was out there and that he would never be able to see her again (or so he thought) hurt more than ever, simply because he never got to tell her that he loved her.

And yet, even now that she was back, it was difficult to get the words out. No moment felt right. He knew that she still felt the same by the way she kissed him. He was afraid that she resented him for getting her trapped in another world and overall ruining her life, but she was still Rose and never saw him as the monster he was. Sometimes, he wished she would.

The Doctor shook his head to clear away his darker thoughts and went to go get some food.

* * *

 **251 Kliks Later**

"So, this is Midnight, do you see, bombarded by the sun. X-tonic rays, raw galvanic radiation." The Doctor was crouching in his chair next to Rose's still sleeping form, watching as Professor Hobbes gave an illustrated lecture on Midnight, using the projector and screen.

"Dee Dee, next slide. It's my pet project. Actually, I'm the first person to research this." He informed proudly. "Because, you see," He sat down, still facing the rest of the passengers. "The history is fascinating. Because there is no history. There's no life in this entire system. There couldn't be. Before the Leisure Palace Company moved in, no one had come here in all eternity. No living thing."

There was a slight pause as everyone took this in. Jethro, the son of Val and Biff, was the first to speak. "But, how do you know? I mean, if no one can go outside-"

"Oh, his imagination." Val rolled her eyes. "Here we go."

"He's got a point, though." The Doctor told them.

"Exactly! We look upon this world through glass," Hobbes said as he stood again. "Safe inside our metal box. Even the Leisure Palace was lowered down from orbit. And here we are now, crossing Midnight, but never touching it."

Suddenly, the shuttle began to shake and a small, sharp beeping went off. They came to a shuddering, grinding halt and everybody started looking around them.

"We've stopped." Val stated. "Have we stopped?"

"Are we there?" Her husband asked.

Dee Dee shook her head. "We can't be. It's too soon."

Hobbes came forward with his input. "They don't stop. Crusader vehicles never stop."

The Doctor looked to the Hostess, who seemed to be just as confused as they. "If you could just return to your seats. It's just a small delay." She headed to the intercom phone.

"Maybe it's just a pit stop?" Biff suggested.

"There's no pit to stop in. I've been on this expedition fourteen times. They never stop." The Professor said.

Sky turned around to face them, clearly agitated with all the worrying going on. "Well, evidently, we have stopped. So there's no point in denying it." She snapped.

"We've broken down." Jethro said.

"Oh, thanks, Jethro." His mum replied sarcastically.

"In the middle of nowhere!" He dramatized to scare them all a little bit.

Rose stirred from beside him. "What's goin' on?" She asked, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes. "What's happened?"

"We've stopped," the Doctor replied as she sat up more.

"Ladies and gentlemen, and variations thereupon," said the Hostess. "We're just experiencing a short delay." She put the projection screen up. "The driver needs to stabilize the engine feeds." Stabilize the engine feeds? That makes no sense. "It's perfectly routine, so if you could just stay in your seats."

"Stay here. Keep them calm," The Doctor whispered to Rose as he went towards the cockpit. He pulled out the psychic paper, since he knew the Hostess probably wouldn't care for just any of them wandering in there.

"No, I'm sorry, sir. Could you please-"

He held up the paper to her face. "There you go. Engine expert. Two ticks." He pressed the button and the door opened. He heard the Hostess telling him to come back and sit down, but he ignored her and the door shut behind him.

One of the two pilots turned to him. "Sorry, if you could return to your seat, sir."

He flashed his psychic paper at the man. "Company insurance. Let's see if we can get an early assessment. So! What's the problem, Driver Joe?" The Doctor asked.

Joe nodded to a screen displaying the engine feed. "We're stabilizing the engine feed. Won't take long." He assured him.

The Doctor looked at the engine feed and knew that the man was lying. "Er, no. 'Cause that's the engine feed, that line there, and that's fine. And it's a micropetrol engine so stabilizing doesn't make any sense, does it? Sorry! I'm the Doctor. I'm very clever. So, what's wrong?" He finished.

"We've just stopped." The other pilot said. "Look, all systems fine. Everythin's workin', but we're not movin'."

The Doctor took the sonic screwdriver out and scanned the controls. "Yeah, you're right. No faults. And who are you?" He asked now that the man had proven himself.

"Claude. I'm the mechanic." He said, looking up at the Doctor. "Trainee."

"Nice to meet you." He answered distractedly.

Driver Joe spoke up again. "I've sent a distress signal. They should dispatch a rescue truck, top speed."

"How long 'til they get here?"

"About an hour." Joe said. Hmm. Okay, could be better. A lot can happen in an hour.

"Well, since we're waiting," He sniffed. "Shall we take a look outside?" Joe hesitated. "Just lift the screens a bit."

"It's a hundred percent X-tonic out there. We'd be vaporized!" He said, like it was crazy. And it probably was.

"Nah! Those windows are finite-glass. They'd give you a couple of minutes. Go on! Live a little." He grinned.

Joe laughed nervously and shrugged. The screen lifted to reveal a landscape made entirely of diamonds, glittering and gleaming in the deadly sunlight. The three men made noises of awe.

"That is beautiful." The Doctor declared.

"Look at all those diamonds, poisoned by the sun. No one can ever touch them." Claude said.

"Joe, you said we took a detour?"

"Just about forty kiliks to the west." He replied.

"Is it a recognized path?"

"No, it's a new one. The computer worked it out on automatic." Who knows what could be out there, then.

"So, we're the first. This piece of ground. No one's ever been here before. Not in the whole of recorded history."

Claude shifted his head and pointed. "Did you just…?"

"What?" The Doctor asked, looking where he'd directed.

"No, sorry. It was nothing."

"What did you see?" He looked between Claude and the landscape.

He pointed again. "There, that ridge. Like-like a shadow. Just-just for a second."

"What sort of shadow?" The Doctor asked as a warning went off. They all started looking around for the source.

"X-tonic rising." Joe said. "Shields down." He pressed the button and the shields began to descend.

Right as they were about halfway, Claude tapped the Doctor's arm and exclaimed, "Look! Look! There it is! There it is!" He pointed again. "Look, there!"

"Where?!" The Doctor asked urgently, but the shields were down completely now. "What was it?"

"Like just something shifting. Something sort of dark, like it was…running."

"Running which way?" He asked softly, trying to calm the young man down.

Claude looked at him. "Towards us."

Joe had had enough. "Alright, Doctor, back to your seat, and, uh, not a word. Rescue's on its way. If you could close the door, thank you."

There was definitely something going on now. Anything could be out there. Humans thought that no one had ever been on the outside, because the sun was poisonous to them, but what if it wasn't to somebody else?


	10. Midnight, Part 2

**Hey, guys. So, I've basically I've been busy and all that, but everybody says it, so I'll just skip the long spiel I was about to go on. Just being considerate! Perhaps you've all heard that they're taking Doctor Who off Netflix on Monday. That is my only way to actually watch the episodes so if my writing is not completely accurate, it's because I'm doing it all off of imagination, online transcripts, and my terrible memory. Really, ask anyone.I believe that is all I have to say. Oh! Wait! Since I forgot to before, I'll say it now. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!**

Rose looked up as the Doctor entered the cockpit again. The other passengers had been worrying amongst themselves, but Rose had just sat resolutely where she was, waiting for the Doctor to come back and explain everything. As soon as he passed through the doorway though, Sky was on him, asking questions.

"What did they say? Did they tell you? What is it? What's wrong?" She asked.

He turned to Sky. "Oh, just stabilizing. Happens all the time." Rose could tell even from where she was, that he was lying through his teeth. It wasn't because she knew much about engines or vehicles or anything, but she knew him better than anyone and right now, he was lying. But, why?

"I don't need this. I'm on a schedule." She glared at the Hostess as she passed. "This is completely unnecessary." She informed everybody. Anyone could see that the woman was annoyed, but she seemed…scared of something.

"Back to your seats, thank you." The Hostess ordered both politely and sternly, then went into the cockpit.

"So, what really happened?" Rose whispered to the Doctor as he slid in next to her.

"Not sure. They're not stabilizing. It doesn't need to." He explained, leaning towards her.

"Any ideas?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but Dee Dee leaned around the seat and tapped the Doctor's arm. "Excuse me, Doctor," Rose sat on her knees to get a better view of the conversation. "But they're micropetrol engines, aren't they?"

"Now, don't bother the man." Hobbes scolded her.

"Oi!" All eyes turned to Rose. "She doin' no harm. Let 'er talk. Go on, Dee Dee."

The young girl turned back to the Doctor. "My father was a mechanic." She continued. "Micropetrol doesn't stabilize. What does stabilize mean?"

"Well, bit of flim-flam. Don't worry they're working it out."

Hobbes joined in too. "So it's not the engines?"

"It's just a little pause that's all." He reassured him.

"How much air have we got?"

"Professor, it's fine." He said firmly.

"What did he say?" Val shouted to them.

"Nothing." The Doctor replied, clearly trying to keep them from the truth.

"Are we running out of air?" And with that question, everyone started panicking. Half the passengers were freaking about the air and the other half was trying to calm everybody else down.

Amidst it all, Rose heard Dee Dee say something about a circular filter. Before she could say anything however, the Doctor shouted, "Quiet!" and that seemed to do the trick.

There was a slight pause as everyone settled back down in their seats and looked to the Doctor. Rose snorted when she realized how petty-minded humans could be. Instead of panicking, they should be figuring this out logically.

"Thank you," The Doctor continued. "Now, if you'd care to listen to my good friend, Dee Dee." He nodded to her and she stood.

"Oh, er, it's just that, well, the air's on a circular filter, so we could stay breathing for ten years."

"There you go." The Doctor said. "And I've spoken to the Captain. I can guarantee you everything is fine."

As if on cue, there came to thumps on the wall of the shuttle to signal to the inhabitants that it was anything but fine. They all started looking around them for the source, although none could be seen.

"Doctor, what was that?" Rose asked, quietly, but received no reply from him.

"Must be the metal." Hobbes suggested. "We're cooling down. It's just settling."

"Rocks. It could be rocks falling." Dee Dee submitted her opinion.

Biff spoke up next. "What I want to know is, how long do we have to sit here?"

Two more thumps came from another part of the hull. It sounded like someone was knocking on the outside. But how? Rose thought.

"What is that?" Sky asked nervously.

"There's someone out there." Val said.

The Professor scoffed. "Now, don't be ridiculous!"

"Like I said, it could be rocks." Dee Dee said.

"We're out in the open. Nothing could fall ag-gainst the sides." The Hostess knocked down that theory, but in only caused to add to the worry as two more thumps sounded out.

"Knock, knock." The Doctor said quietly and Rose nudged him, giving him a disapproving frown.

"Who's there?" Jethro answered creepily.

The room was drowned in silence as they waited for something, anything to happen. Sky broke it first.

"Is there someone out there?" No one said anything. "Well? Anyone?" More knocks, near Biff and Val this time. "What is making that noise?!"

"I'm sorry," Hobbes spoke up. "But the light out there is Xtonic. That means it would destroy any living thing in a split second. It is impossible for someone to be outside."

A couple more knocks echoed and the Doctor ran to the spot where it came from.

"Well, what is that, then?!" Sky asked, clearly panicking now.

The Doctor got out his stethoscope and began to listen to the walls.

"Sir, you really should get back to your seat!" The Hostess hissed none too kindly at him, stamping her foot.

Rose stood from her own seat. "Look, just leave him alone. There's more important things than protocol right now, so just let him work." She said.

All were silent as the Doctor listened. He mumbled something incoherent and two more knocks came, quicker now. And more just after it, but in a different spot.

"It's moving." Jethro pointed out.

The emergency exit door started rattling and Val pointed at it, exclaiming, "It's trying the door!"

"There is no 'it'." Hobbes explained. "Nothing's out there. There can't be."

The door rattled some more and everyone stared on. Suddenly, it knocked on the ceiling and everyone gasped. Then it thumped on the door next to Biff and Val.

"That's the entrance." Val pointed at it. "Can it get in?"

"No," Dee Dee answered. "That door's got two-hundred weight hydraulics."

The Professor looked annoyed at her knowledge. "Stop it. Don't encourage them."

Rose made her way to the Doctor. "Doctor, what is that thing? What's it doin'?"

He didn't answer her. Biff made his way over to the entrance door and started feeling it. "Mr. Cane, better not," The Doctor warned.

"Nah, it's cast iron, that door." He knocked three times on it for emphasis. Three more knocks came through and everybody jumped back, shocked.

"Three times. Did you hear that?" Val's voice was shaking with fear as she spoke. "It did it three times!"

"It answered." Jethro put in.

"It did it three times!" Val repeated, louder this time.

The Doctor moved up to the front and held up his hands to silence them. "Alright, alright, alright. Everyone calm down."

"No, but it answered." Sky said, frantically. "It answered. Don't tell me that thing's not alive. It answered him!"

Three more thumps. With every time the thing knocked, silence fell on everybody.

"I really must insist you get back to your seats!" The Hostess ordered, her voice cracking just a little.

"No, don't just stand there, telling us the rules! You're the Hostess! You're supposed to do something!" Sky shouted at her.

Four more knocks, but this time, it was the Doctor knocking. Everyone turned to him to understand what he was doing. They all waited for a reply, and just as they thought they weren't going to get one, it answered the exact same way as he had knocked.

"What is it? What's making that noise?" Sky started shouting desperately, only causing to make everyone else nervous. The Doctor, Rose, and Dee Dee were trying to get her to calm down and be quiet, but she wouldn't stop. "She said she'd get me! Stop it! Make it stop! Somebody make it stop! Don't just stand there looking at me! It's not my fault! He started it with his stories!" She pointed at Jethro. And then at the Doctor. "And he made it worse!"

"You're not helping!" Val stated, loudly.

"Why didn't you leave it alone?!" Sky shouted. "Stop staring at me! Just tell me what that is!"

Knock. Knock.

"It's coming for me. Oh, it's coming for me." Sky began to back up against the wall of the shuttle as the thumps became louder and closer to her. "It's coming for me! It's coming for me! Aagh! Aaaaagh!" She screamed.

"Get out of there!" The Doctor lunged for her, but with a final knock, the shuttle shook and tipped and crashed. Lights flickered and sparks flew everywhere. The passengers were thrown to and fro. Rose attempted to grab onto something, but something grabbed her and held her in place.

The jolting stopped, but the lights were still off. Rose tried to shift, but someone was still holding onto her. She looked up to see the Doctor's face, with his eyes squeezed tight as he tried to protect her.

"Doctor," She whispered. His eyes opened and his grip loosened. He stood and helped her up, both of them looking over each other.

"You alright?" He asked her, feeling her arms and head for anything.

"Yeah, I'm good. You?" He nodded and they squinted in the dim light at the others. "Is everyone alright?" Rose shouted.

"How are we? Is everything alright?" The Doctor helped.

"Earthquake." Hobbes said quietly. "It must be."

"But it's impossible. The ground is fixed. It's solid." Dee Dee informed.

The Hostess, holding a flashlight, switched one on, shining it right in everyone's faces. "We've got torches. Everyone take a torch. They're in the back of the seats."

Rose grabbed one form the compartment in the seats and handed one to the Doctor. She pointed hers around the room and it landed on Sky, the only one who had yet to speak. She was hunched over with her hands in her hair, but she wasn't moving. The seats around her were ripped up and off the floor in a disorderly manner.

"Doctor," He turned to her and she pointed to Sky. "What about her?"

Everyone turned to look in Sky's direction. "What happened to the seats?" Val asked.

"Who did that?" Biff demanded.

"They've been ripped up!" His wife exclaimed.

The Doctor knelt in front of Sky and Rose stood behind him. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's all right. It's all right. It's all right. It's over. We're still alive. Look, the wall's still intact. Do you see? We're safe."

"Driver Joe, can you hear me?!" The Hostess threw the intercom phone down and stomped all the way to the cockpit door. "I'm not getting any response. The intercom must be down."

She slammed her hand on the button to open the door, but as it opened, a blinding, burning white light flooded the room. Causing everybody to stumble backwards. Rose screeched as she dove behind a chair for shelter from the poisoned sunlight.

The Hostess hit the button again and the door closed instantly, an alarm blaring in the meanwhile.

"What happened?!" Val asked frantically. "What was that?!"

"Is it the driver?" Her husband added. "Have we lost the driver?"

The Doctor went over to a black panel covered in buttons and started using his sonic screwdriver on it.

"The cabin's gone." The Hostess stated, still in shock.

"Don't be ridiculous." Hobbes scoffed. "It can't be gone. How can it be gone?"

"Well, well, you saw it!" Dee Dee said.

"There was nothing there. Like it was just ripped away," The Hostess continued and whimpered, putting a hand to her head. Rose made her way over to her.

"Hey, it's okay," she comforted her. "What's your name?"

"June," the woman answered shakily.

"I'm Rose and that's the Doctor. Don't worry. We're gonna figure this out. It's all gonna be alright."

"What are you doing?" Biff demanded of the Doctor and he pointed at what he was doing with his torch.

"Ah, that's better. Little bit of light. Thank you. Molto bene!" The Doctor answered.

"Do you know what you're doing?!" Val asked rather loudly.

"The cabin's gone. You better leave that wall alone!" Biff ordered.

"The cabin can't be gone!" Hobbes exclaimed, still not getting it through his head that it was in fact gone.

"No, it's safe." The Doctor murmured, talking to Biff. "Any rupture would've automatically sealed itself." He pulled the panel out and studied its wiring, looking a bit confused. "But it's like something sliced it off. You're right. The cabin's gone."

"What does that mean, Doctor?" Rose asked.

"It gets separated and it loses integrity." He stood and leaned on the chair. "I'm sorry, they've been reduced to dust." The Hostess whimpered. "The driver and the mechanic. But they sent a distress signal. Help is on the way. They saved our lives. We are going to get out of here, I promise. We're still alive, and they are going to find us."

"Doctor, look at her." Jethro interrupted, looking at Sky.

Rose looked over to find her in the same position as before, nothing changed.

"Right, yes. Have we got a medical kit?" He asked.

"I don't think a medical kit will help." He looked back at Sky and his expression made it look to Rose like he agreed with her.

"Why won't she turn around?" Jethro asked.

"What's her name?" Hobbes asked.

"Sky Sylvestry." The Doctor looked at her. "I talked to her earlier."

"Sky? Can you hear me?" He knelt down behind her. Rose chewed on her lip as she thought the situation through. "Can you move, Sky? Just look at me." She didn't move.

"That noise from outside," Jethro noted quietly. "It's stopped."

"Well, thank God for that." Val commented, voice still shaking.

"But what if it's not outside anymore? What if it's inside?"

His observation set Val into a panic. "Inside?! Where?!"

"It was heading for her."

"Jethro, don't be worrying them." Rose told him.

The Doctor didn't seem to notice what they all were doing or at least he was ignoring them. "Sky? It's alright, Sky. I just want you to turn around, face me."

Very slowly, Sky moved her right hand out of her hair, then her left. She turned her body towards them and her head snapped up to look at them. Her head turned with every movement someone made. The Doctor tilted his head to observe her and she whipped around to face him, then mirrored his action. He tilted his head the other way and she repeated that as well.

"Sky?" He said quietly.

After a slight pause, Sky spoke. "Sky?"

"Are you alright?" He asked her.

"Are you alright?" She repeated.

"Are you hurt?"

"Are you hurt?"

"You don't have to talk." He said kindly, but she only mimicked him again.

"You don't have to talk."

"I'm trying to help."

"I'm trying to help."

"My name's the Doctor." He introduced himself.

"My name's the Doctor."

Rose could tell he was getting annoyed by now. "Okay, can you stop?"

"Okay, can you stop?"

"I'd like you to stop." He said a little more firmly.

"I'd like you to stop." Sky said.

"Why's she doing that?" Hobbes asked and Sky turned quickly to stare at him as she repeated him too.

"Why's she doing that?"

"She's gone mad!" Biff declared and she began to repeat them all, staring at each in turn.

"She's gone mad!"

"Stop it." Val ordered.

"Stop it."

"I said, stop it!" Val tried again.

"I said, stop it!"

"I don't think she can." Rose observed.

"I don't think she can."

"Rose, stay quiet." The Doctor told her and she glared at him.

"Rose, stay quiet."

"Alright, now. Stop it. This isn't funny." Hobbes said.

"Alright, now. Stop it. This isn't funny."

"Sh-sh-sh. All of you." The Doctor said.

"Sh-sh-sh. All of you."

"My name's Jethro." He tested with a smirk of enjoyment on his face.

"My name's Jethro."

"Jethro, stop. Let him take care of it." Rose told him.

"Jethro, stop. Let him take care of it."

"Why are you repeating?" The Doctor asked Sky, or rather, the creature that possessed her. It was clear that whatever it was that was speaking wasn't Sky anymore.

"Why are you repeating?"

"What is that, learning?" He thought out loud.

"What is that, learning?"

"Copying?"

"Copying?"

A look of realization came over his face as he thought of something new. "Absorbing?"

"Absorbing?"

After a pause the Doctor began speaking more loudly. "The root of pi is1.772453850905516027298167483341. Wow."

Sky didn't miss a beat. "The root of pi is1.772453850905516027298167483341. Wow."

It took a moment for everyone to process what just happened and then the Professor spoke. "But that's impossible."

"But that's impossible."

"She couldn't repeat all that." Dee Dee whispered to Hobbes.

"She couldn't repeat all that."

"Tell her to stop." Val commanded, becoming frantic.

"She's driving me mad."

"She's driving me mad."

"Just make her stop!"

"Just make her stop!"

Everyone started to speak over each other, Sky still repeating all of their words and staring at them whenever she said them.

"Quiet! All of you, quiet!" Rose yelled, but no one listened. They were all too busy trying to get their word of fear in. "Doctor!"

He jumped up and tried to calm them, but the results were just the same as with Rose. They were all bickering and getting near screaming, except for Jethro of course, who was experimenting by spouting of numbers among other things.

Suddenly, there was a deep humming noise and the lights flickered back on. Everyone stopped talking and looked up at the ceiling.

"That's the back-up system." The Hostess said airily.

"Well, that's a bit better." Biff commented.

"What about the rescue?" asked Val. "How long's it going to take?"

"About sixty minutes," answered the Hostess. "That's all."

At first, Rose had been listening to them as they conversed, but then she noticed something: Sky wasn't speaking anymore. At least, that's what she thought until she started listening to what Hobbes was saying again.

"…self-induced hysteria. We should leave her alone." He finished.

"Doctor," Rose said.

"I know."

"Now, Doctor. Step back. I think that we should leave her…" Hobbes was saying, but stopped when he realized what Rose, the Doctor, and Jethro already had. "…alone. What's she doing?"

"How can she do that? She's talking with you." Val said and her eyes went wide. "And with me. Oh, my goodness. Biff, what's she doing?"

"She's repeating…at exactly the same time." Jethro noted.

Dee Dee's face was an expression of total shock. "That's impossible."

"There's not even a delay," Hobbes observed.

Jethro grinned in excitement. "Oh, man that is weird."

"I think you should all be very, very quiet." The Doctor told them calmly. "Have you got that?"

Val ignored him anyway. "How's she doing that?"

"Val, you should be quiet." Rose told her.

"How can she do that?! She's got my voice! She's got my words!" The woman yelled hysterically.

"Come on, be quiet. Hush, now. Hush." He stopped calming his wife when he realized that Sky was repeating hi now too. "She's doing it to me."

"Just stop it, all of you. Stop it, please." The Doctor ordered and then crouched down in front of Sky. "Now then, Sky. Are you Sky? Is Sky still in there? Mrs Silvestry? You know exactly what I'm going to say. How are you doing that? Roast beef. Bananas. The Medusa Cascade. Bang! Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, Donna Noble, Tardis. Shamble bobble dibble dooble. Oh, Doctor, you're so handsome. Yes, I am, thank you." Rose snorted at that part. The Doctor was always so vain. Even in a crisis he never failed to preen. "A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O." He studied her for a few more moments and stood abruptly. "First she repeats, then she catches up. What's the next stage?"

"Next stage of what?" Dee Dee demanded of him.

"That's not her, is it?" All eyes turned to Jethro. "That's not Mrs. Sylvestry anymore."

"I don't think so, no." The Doctor said and Val started crying. Sky mimicked the noise, which Rose found just a little more creepy. "I think…the more we talk, the more she learns. Now, I'm all for education, but in this case, maybe not. Let's just move back. Come on, come with me. Everyone get back, all of you. As far as you can." The Doctor took Rose's hand and led her to the back of the shuttle.

"Doctor, make her stop," Val begged him.

"Val, come with me. Come to the back. Stop looking at her. Come on, Jethro. You too. Everyone, come on." He stood in front of them and tried to get Rose to help him block their view of Sky. "Fifty minutes, that's all we need. Fifty minutes till the rescue arrives. And," He glanced back at her. "She's not exactly strong. Look at her. All she's got is our voices."

"I can't-I can't look at her." Val whispered. "It's those eyes."

All of them stared at Sky as she stared back at them, eyes looking like they knew every single one of their deepest, darkest secrets. The air grew tense and Rose began to wonder if anyone would just stop talking.

"We must not look at goblin men." Dee Dee said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Biff asked, seemingly annoyed by it.

"It's a poem," The Doctor answered. "Christina Rossetti."

Another moment of tense silence passed and Dee Dee continued quoting. "We must not look at goblin men, we must not buy their fruits. Who knows upon what soil they fed their hungry thirsty roots."

Val started shaking more and Rose gave the Doctor a look of uncertainty. He shook his head and said, "Actually, I don't think that's helping."

"She's not a goblin or a monster. She's just a very sick woman." Hobbes told them.

"Maybe that's why it went for her," Jethro suggested.

"There is no 'it'!" The Professor insisted.

"Think about it though." Jethro prompted. "That knocking went all the way round the bus until it found her. And she was the most scared out of all of us. Maybe…that's what it needed. That's how it got in."

"For the last time," Hobbes said, raising his voice slightly. "Nothing can live on the surface of Midnight!"

"Professor," Rose started, finally getting fed up with him denying something so obvious now. "Don't you think that there's a slight possibility that some sort of lifeform can survive in the radiation? Somethin' that's…" She gestured as if searching for the right description. "Immune to it?"

"Absolutely," The Doctor said, even though she wasn't asking him. "Now, I think that there is some sort of consciousness inhabiting Mrs. Sylvestry and that she might still be in there. Which means that it is our job to try and help her."

"Well, you can help her," Biff told him. "I'm not going near."

"No, I've got to stay back, because if she's copying us, then maybe the final stage is becoming us. I don't want her becoming me, or things could get a whole lot worse."

"Oh, like you're so special." Val said bitterly.

"As it happens, yes, I am." Rose nudged him in the rib, but it didn't affect his speech. "So that's decided. We stay back, and we wait. When the rescue ship comes, we can get her to hospital."

"The Doctor let a moment pass so they could all understand and Rose thought that they were finally getting it, but then the Hostess spoke up and it all went downhill from there.

"We should throw her out."

Most everyone gasped at the idea and the Professor said, "I beg your pardon!"

Rose and the Doctor stared at the Hostess with incredulity.

"Can we do that?" Val asked and their horrified stares turned to her.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Rose said at the same time as the Doctor said, "Don't be ridiculous!"

"That thing, whatever it is," The Hostess continued. "Killed the driver, and the mechanic, and I don't think she's finished yet."

"She can't even move!" The Doctor said. Rose was just surprised that any of them could even consider it. Just an hour ago, these seemed like people you'd want as your neighbors and now they were considering murder.

"Look at her. Look at her eyes. She killed Joe and she killed Claude. And we're next," The Hostess said firmly.

"She's still doing it!" Biff said, shoving through to the creature. "Just stop it! Stop talking! Stop it!" But despite whatever anyone said, she wouldn't stop. And Rose didn't think she would, not until the next stage at least.

"Biff, don't, sweetheart!" Val pleaded with him.

"But she won't stop." Biff came walking back to them and stopped right next to the Doctor. "We can't throw her out, though. We can't even open the door."

"No one is getting thrown out." The Doctor said darkly and they stared each other down.

"Yes, we can. Because there's an air pressure seal. Like when you opened the cabin door, you weren't pulled out. You had a couple of seconds, because it takes-"

"Dee Dee, that's enough. You don't need to encourage them." Rose interrupted her.

"Would it kill her outside?" Val asked.

"I don't know, but she's got a body now. It would certainly kill the physical fo-"

"No one is killing anyone!" The Doctor said forcefully, raising his voice.

But they completely ignored him. "I wouldn't risk the cabin door twice, but we've got that one. All we need to do is grab hold of her and throw her out."

"Now, listen, all of you. For all we know that's a brand new life form over there. And if it's come inside to discover us, than what's it found? This little bunch of humans. What do you amount to, murder?" He looked questioningly at all of them. "Because this is where you decide. You decide who you are. Could you actually murder her? Any of you? Really? Or are you better than that?"

He let that sink in a bit and it started to look like they would abort this plan, but then the Hostess said, "I'd do it."

"So, would I," added Biff.

"And me," his wife said.

Dee Dee nodded. "I think we should."

"What?" Rose exclaimed. She thought Dee Dee was smarted than that, better than that. Rose thought she had been such a sweet girl and now she was contemplating killing someone.

"I want her out." She said, voice trembling.

"But you can't!"

"I'm sorry, but he said it, didn't he?" Dee Dee said, motioning to the Doctor. "She is growing in strength."

"That is not what I said."

"I want to go home," She whimpered. "I'm sorry. I want to be safe."

"The rescue truck is coming." Rose assured her. "You'll be safe soon."

The Hostess had something to say about that, however. And if Rose could be honest, she had a good point. "But what happens then, Doctor? If it takes that thing back to the Leisure Palace, if that thing reaches civilization. What if it spreads?"

"No, because when we get back to the base, I'll be there to contain it."

"Well, you haven't done much so far," said Val.

"You're just standing in the back with the rest of us." Her husband said, pointing at him.

"She's dangerous and it's my job to make sure this vessel is safe and we should get rid of her."

"Now, hang on." Hobbes held up his hands in the universal "slow down" motion. "I think perhaps we're all going a bit too far."

"At last. Thank you." The Doctor patted him on the shoulder.

"Two people are dead!" The Hostess reminded them, her jaw tight.

"Don't make it a third!" He glared at her. Rose then realized that Jethro hadn't said anything about what he thought they should do yet.

"What about you, Jethro?" She asked him. "What do you think?"

Without looking up, he said, "I'm not killing anyone."

"He's just a boy." His mum waved off.

"What, so I don't get a vote?!"

"There is no vote! It's not happening. Ever. If you try to throw her out that door, you'll have to get through me first." The Doctor stared them all down and even Rose had to admit that he looked like a force to be reckoned with.

"Okay," The Hostess said. Rose groaned and ran her hands through her hair.

"Fine by me." Biff added.

"Oh, now you're being stupid!" The Doctor put his angry face right up to Biff's as an action to intimidate him, but Mr. Cane didn't back down. "Just think about it. Could you actually take hold of someone and throw them out of that door?!"

"Are you calling me a coward?" Biff asked, sticking his chest out like a bird.

"Who put you in charge, anyway?" Val added, although she turned her face away immediately afterwards as if she was afraid of his reaction.

"I'm sorry, but you're a doctor of what exactly?" Hobbes asked.

"It doesn't matter what he's a doctor of." Rose answered before the Doctor had a chance to. "He's the only one who can get all of us out of this mess."

"Yeah, and what about you?" Val said to her.

"They weren't even booked in," The Hostess said. "The rest of you, tickets in advance. They just turned up out of the blue."

"Where from?" asked Val.

"We're just traveling." He answered. "We're just travelers, that's all."

"Like an immigrant?" Mrs. Cane said.

"Who were you talking to? Before you got on board, you were talking to someone. Who was that?" The Hostess inquired.

"It was just our friend, Donna," Rose said. "It doesn't matter to you."

"And what were you saying to her?"

"You haven't even told us your names. You," Val said, pointing at Rose. "You haven't even talked most of the time. Who are you?"

"The thing is, though, Doctor," Jethro said, seemingly switching sides. "You've been loving this."

"Oh, Jethro, not you." The Doctor whined, losing another person on his side.

"No, but ever since all the trouble started, you've been loving it."

"It has to be said," Hobbes put in. "You do seem to have a certain glee."

"Alright, I'm interested. Yes, I can't help it. Because, whatever's inside her, it's brand new and that's fascinating!"

"So, you wanted this to happen!" Val accused.

"No!" The Doctor said.

"Of course not!" Rose agreed. Although they weren't exactly talking about her then, she would still defend the Doctor.

"And you were talking to her, all on your own," Biff said, speaking to Rose. "Before all the trouble. Right at the front, you were talking to that Sky woman, just you and her. I saw you."

"We all did." Val stood by her husband.

"Listen!" Rose practically shouted. "This is ridiculous! It isn't doing anything right now. You're all just getting creeped out by that thing." She jabbed her finger towards Sky. "That's what it's tryin' to do. That's what it wants. It's tryin' to scare us into action. Don't give it what it wants."

"He went into the cockpit too. Who knows what he did in there," The Hostess said.

"You called us humans like you're not one of us," Jethro put in.

"He did," Val agreed. "That's what he said."

"And the wiring," Dee Dee added. "He went into that panel and opened up the wiring."

"That was after," Rose excused.

"But how did you know what to do?" Biff asked.

"Because I'm clever!" He shouted.

All of them just scoffed and looked at him like he was the worst person in the world, as small as that was compared to the universe, it still hit a nerve in Rose.

"I see. Well, that makes things clear," The Professor said sarcastically.

"And what are we then?" Biff asked. "Idiots?"

"That's not what I meant."

"If you're clever, then what are we?" asked Dee Dee.

"You've been looking down on us from the moment you walked in" Val noted.

"Even if he goes," added the Hostess. "He's practically volunteered."

"Listen to yourselves!" Rose pleaded. "This is mad!"

"Do you mean we throw him out as well?" Biff asked the Hostess, who started this whole argument in the first place.

The woman kept her gaze on them as she considered this. "If we have to."

"You can't be serious!" Rose threw her hands up in the air.

"What about her?" Val suggested. "She's with him. All three of them could be working together."

"Really? Throw three people out that door?" The Doctor said, trying to show them their error. "That would be five people dead. Three by your hand. Are you really prepared to face a guilt like that?" He let them chew on that for a bit. "Now, we all just need to cool down and think."

"Perhaps you could tell us your names." Hobbes prompted.

"What does it matter?" He sidestepped. Of course they wouldn't believe him if he used the "John Smith" card.

"I'm Rose and he's John. We're travelers who are just trying to enjoy their time at the Leisure Palace. That's all you need to know." Rose said firmly, not allowing anymore room for discussion on the subject. "We all just need to keep quiet and listen to the Doctor."

"Who put him in charge anyway? How are you any more qualified than the rest of us?" Biff demanded.

"Now listen to me. Listen to me right now," The Doctor said, holding out his arms. "Because you need me, all of you. If we are going to get out of this, then you need me."

"So you keep saying." Hobbes scoffed. "You've been repeating yourself more than her." He gestured to Sky, who, unnoticed by everyone but Jethro, had stopped speaking along with them.

"If anyone should be in charge," Val proposed. "It should be the Professor. He's the expert."

"Mum, stop, just look." Jethro told her, keeping his eyes on Mrs. Sylvestry.

"You keep out of this, Jethro!" She scolded.

"Look at her!"

They all looked to her and she stared right back at them, smiling softly. She almost looked kind or peaceful, but Rose knew that was just the creature inside her influencing the body's expression.

"She's stopped!" Dee Dee declared.

"When did she-" The Doctor started, but stopped when he realized that she in fact hadn't. "No, she hasn't. She's still doing it."

"She looks the same to me." Val pointed out. "No, she's stopped. Look, I'm talking and she's not!"

"What about me, is she?" Biff tested. Sky remained still, just staring at the Doctor's eyes. "Look. Look at that. She's not doing me. She's let me go."

"Mrs. Sylvestry?" The Hostess said. "Nor me. Nothing."

The Doctor walked forward and stood in front of Sky, scrutinizing her. Rose placed her hand on his arm, trying to warn him not to move any closer. He didn't acknowledge her, but stayed where he was.

"Sky, what are you doing?" The Doctor asked.

"She's still doing him." Dee Dee pointed at the Doctor.

"Doctor, it's you." Hobbes said, just now getting it. "She's only copying you."

"Yeah," Rose agreed, studying the woman/creature/whatever closely, slowly inching nearer. "But why? Doctor, why would she be copying you?"

He didn't answer her, instead repeating the same questions to Sky. "Why me? Why are you doing this?"

"She won't leave him alone," Dee Dee said.

"D'you see?" Val said from behind them. "I said so; she's with him."

As the group behind him continued to bicker and accuse, the Doctor was having a staring contest with Sky, searching her eyes for any form humanity, but none was to be found. He had been right. Whatever was now occupying Mrs. Sylvestry had not only possessed her; it had murdered her.

"How do you explain it, Doctor?" Hobbes challenged, although Rose had a feeling he really had just as little a clue as anyone else in the room. "If you're so clever?"

He thought of what he could say to them. They needed to know something, but what could he tell them? So, even after all of his bravado and telling them that he was the one they needed in order to get them out of this, he had to tell them the truth. The truth that showed just how much of what he'd told them was so useless.

"I don't know." Sky repeated the words after him and he simply got fed up with all of it. Why wouldn't anyone just listen? "Sky, stop it. I said, stop it. Just stop it!"

"Doctor," Rose's voice broke through, warning him. Someone in the background scoffed.

He tried again, gentler this time. "Mrs. Sylvestry, I'm trying to understand. You've captured my speech. What for? Why do you need-" Realization came over him as a thought made its way to him. "You need my voice in particular. The cleverest voice in the room. Why? Because I'm the only one who can help? Oh, I'd like that to be true, but your eyes," He acknowledged them and peered in, as if he could see deep inside of her. "They're saying something else."

At that moment, he had a theory as to what the creature actually wanted and he had to try to help it. If it meant any harm toward them, he'd stop it, but first he had to give it a chance.

"Listen to me. Whatever you want – if it's life or form or consciousness or voice – you don't have to steal it. You can find it without hurting anyone. And I'll help you. That's a promise. So, what do you think?"

There was a slight pause and then, "Do we have a deal?"

Everybody in the shuttle gasped as they heard it. "Hold on, did she…" Someone started, but Rose wasn't paying attention.

"She spoke first," Jethro finished.

"She can't have!"

"She did!"

"She spoke first."

Rose moved slightly closer to the Doctor, holding out her hand to touch him, when Sky spoke and she jumped back.

"Oh, look at that," She said. "I'm ahead of you." The Doctor repeated her with a slightly strained sound to his voice, as if he was just barely getting it out.

Sky was looking at her hands like she'd never seen them before. Rose once again reached out her hand to touch the Doctor's shoulder. Sky's head whipped up and she stared at her. Rose froze. She felt like a child caught with her hand in a cookie jar. Sky's eyes bore into her. She tilted her head, considering her, then after a moment, looked away and at the professor, as he spoke.

"Did you see?" He was saying. "She spoke before he did. Definitely."

"He's copying her," Observed Jethro, but as usual, nobody seemed to listen to him.

"Doctor, what's happening?"

"I think it's moved," Sky said, rolling her neck.

"I think it's moved," The Doctor echoed.

She closed her eyes. "I think it's letting me go." He repeated.

"What do you mean?" Dee Dee asked. "Letting you go from what?"

"But he's repeating now." Biff pointed at the Doctor. "He's the one doin' it. It's him!" He accused.

"They're separating," Jethro said quietly.

Hobbes stepped closer, but warily. "Mrs. Sylvestry, is that you?"

Sky moved her head from side to side, looking very unnatural. "Yes. Yes, it's me." She continued to speak even as the Doctor echoed every one of her words. She acted as if he wasn't even there. "I'm coming back. Listen, it's me."

Rose's head was spinning. This wasn't supposed to be happening. None of this. They were supposed to be on a sight-seeing tour, enjoying themselves, not this. Whatever had gotten in the shuttle and had been in Mrs. Sylvestry was now in the Doctor. He couldn't help anymore. Sky was doing something to him. She needed to stop it. But how? She didn't even know what was going on!

"Like it's passed into the Doctor." Jethro said. "It's transferred. Whatever it is, it's gone inside him."

Dee Dee shook her head. "No, that's not what happened."

Rose looked at her. "What do y'mean?" She asked.

The attention was on Val, though. "But, look at her!" She pointed.

"Look at me." Everyone's heads were pointed at Sky, none of them totally relieved of their fear of her. "I can move. I can feel again. I'm coming back to life." She looked at the Doctor, who was still copying her word for word. "And look at him. He can't move." She looked pleadingly up at them. "Help me. Professor?"

He sputtered, looking around at everybody else and they stared back at him. He started to move towards her.

"Get me away from him." She held her hands toward him piteously. "Please."

"Professor!" Rose called out to him before he could touch Sky. "I don't think you should touch her." Sky glared at her.

"Nonsense!" He said. "The creature has obviously gone into him. There's no more need to worry about Mrs. Sylvestry."

Sky caught his attention again. "Please. He scares me." Hobbes helped her up, making sure not to touch the Doctor in the process. Rose bit her lip, thinking everything over.

"Oh, thank you." Sky said, somewhat dramatically, but the Doctor's voice conveyed no feeling whatsoever.

"They've completely separated." Jethro declared.

"It's in him," his dad stated, somehow managing to sound half-way happy. "Do you see? I said it was in him all the time."

"But it wasn't!" Rose told them, but they wouldn't listen to her anymore.

"She's free." Val marveled. "She's been saved."

"Oh, it was so cold." Sky brought her hands up as if to warm herself by rubbing her arms. "I couldn't breathe! I'm sorry. I must've scared you so much." She looked sympathetically at them.

Val came forward with her arms up to embrace her. "No, no. It's alright. I've got you. There you are, love. It's gone. Everything's alright now." She cooed at her, a sort of motherly instinct kicking in.

"I wouldn't touch her," Dee Dee warned her.

"But it's gone." Biff turned to her and she cowered just a little bit. "She's clean. It passed into him."

"That's not what happened!" She insisted.

"Thank you for your opinion, Dee," Hobbes said in a tone that expressed the exact opposite of what he said. "But clearly, Mrs. Sylvestry has been released."

"No!" She cried.

"Just leave her alone." Val dismissed her. "She's safe, isn't she? Jethro," She turned to her son. "It's let her go, hasn't it?"

"No, I agree with Dee Dee," Rose said and he turned to her with a look on his face that showed just how little her opinion mattered to him.

"Nobody was asking you." Biff shot at her, giving her a venomous look. Apparently, she wasn't to be trusted.

"I'd say, from observation, the Doctor can't move, and when she was, er, possessed, she couldn't move. So-"

Biff cut him off. "Well, there we are, then. Now, the only problem we've got is this Doctor." He gestured to the Doctor, who was still in the exact same position as before.

"It's inside his head." Sky said, her hands clasped.

Rose stepped over to him and crouched down in front of him. He was staring blankly ahead, but just as the Doctor had said, she could see what he was actually feeling simply by looking into his eyes. He was in pain and he couldn't do anything about it.

"It killed the driver," Sky was saying. "And the mechanic."

But if it wasn't in the Doctor, a fact that Rose was absolutely sure of, then it still had to be in Sky. She was draining him. Somehow, she was siphoning his energy and slowly killing him.

"And now it wants us." Rose watched his mouth as he spoke after her. It wasn't right. This wasn't him.

But what could she do? None of them would listen to her; she came with the very man they blamed for all of this. They weren't even talking about the creature anymore – they were talking about him.

Sky was still talking. Rose had just noticed how affected her voice was now. She didn't sound or even look like the woman that she'd been talking to not so long ago. She probably wasn't even alive anymore. "He's waited so long. In the dark and the cold and the diamonds." Here, Val buried her head in her husband's chest. Sky held out her hands to them. "Until you came. Bodies so hot," Spittle came out of the Doctor's mouth as he spoke, unable to even swallow and tears were welled up in his eyes. "With blood and pain."

Val started panicking. "Stop! Make him stop! Someone make him stop!" Her husband held her tighter.

"But she's saying it!" Dee Dee pointed out.

Val turned on her angrily. "And you can shut up!"

"But it's not him, it's her!" She persisted. "He's just repeating!"

"But that's what the thing does," Biff countered. "It repeats."

"Yes, but she's saying it!" Rose said, standing up now. "The words that are scaring you are coming from her!" She indicated Sky, who was smirking. "I think we should just let Dee Dee talk."

"Make it all stop!" Val wailed. "Just make it stop!"

"Just let her explain!" the Hostess told them.

"What do you know?" asked Biff sarcastically. "Fat lot of good you've been!" The Hostess was shaking.

"I think she has a point," was all she could ground out.

They all looked to Dee Dee reluctantly. She stumbled a bit with her words. "I think, I mean, from what I've seen, it repeats, then it synchronizes, then it goes onto the next stage and that's exactly what the Doctor said would happen."

Biff scoffed. "What, and you're on his side?"

"No!"

"The voice is the thing," Jethro added.

"And she's the voice! She stole it! Look at her," Dee Dee pleaded with them. "It's not possessing him! It's draining him!"

"She's got his voice," the Hostess agreed quietly.

Val's eyebrows were drawn up as she tried to make Dee Dee understand. "But that's not true, because it can't! I saw it pass into him! I saw it with my own eyes!" She claimed.

Biff stood in front of her. "So did I!"

"Did you really?" Rose asked, raising her voice. "What did you see physically passing into him?"

"What did you see physically passing into her?!" Biff yelled, gesturing to Sky. Rose bit the inside of her cheek in order to keep herself from shouting back. How could she get them to realize the truth if they all kept arguing?

"But it wasn't him, I tell you. It was her!" Dee Dee kept on. "She stole his voice!"

"Oh, she's as bad as him," Val said. "Someone shut her up."

The Professor stepped up, having been silent for quite a while. "I think you should be quiet, Dee."

"Well, I'm only saying-"

"And that's an order!" He bellowed, interrupting her and effectually silencing her. "You're making a fool of yourself, pretending you're an expert in mechanics and hydraulics. Well, I can tell you, you are nothing more than average at best! Now, shut up!"

This made Rose's blood boil. Treating anyone with less worth than they're due simply because they don't agree with you was an outrage to her. She opened her mouth to rebuke him when the creature possessing Sky started talking again.

"That's how he does it." Her back was to them, but they were all listening to her. Why were any of them listening to her? "He makes you fight. Creeps into your head," the Doctor's echoes of Sky's words didn't help to calm any of them down. "And whispers." She cupped her hand to her ear. "Just listen. Listen. That's him. Inside."

"Throw him out!" Biff yelled at the same time as his wife said, "Get him out of my head!"

"Yeah, we should throw him out!" He said again.

"Don't just talk about it," she admonished him. "You're useless. Do something!"

"I will! You watch me! I'm going to throw him out!" He made to move to where the Doctor was still crouching, but Rose dashed to stand in his way.

"You're not going anywhere near him," she said with a low feral sort of tone to her voice. For a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of uncertainty cross the man's face, but it was quickly replaced with an expression of anger.

"Unless you want us to throw you out too, I suggest you stand back."

Rose looked him square in the face and said, "Make me."

He folded his lips inward and inhaled angrily. He reminded her of an irate bull. "Bother you!" He shoved her with one arm and she collapsed halfway-draped across a row a chairs.

Her head connected with an armrest and she was dazed by the impact. Her vision went black and fuzzy and she simply laid there for a few moments gasping in pain. Supporting herself on her elbow, she put a hand to her forehead and felt a warm liquid sliding down it. It took her eyes a few moments to adjust again before she could see that it was blood on her fingers. She was bleeding.

She looked back up the scene before her and saw that the Professor and Biff were dragging the Doctor across the floor and towards the door while Val was crying and shouting, Dee Dee and Jethro were watching on in horror and the Hostess was just staring at Sky as she spoke.

"Do it. Do it now." Sky was urging the two men. "Faster! Just do it! That's the way! You can do it!"

The Doctor was still repeating after her even though he was being hauled across the room. Rose tried to jump up and scream to them to stop, to just realize what they were doing and stop, but all she could get out was a whimpered "No" as she strained to get her body upright.

"That's his voice," Rose heard the Hostess say from somewhere near her. "She's taken his voice!"

Rose looked to where Sky was, but her vision was still blurry. "The emptiness! The Midnight sky!" She cried almost gleefully.

"Get him out!" Val screamed.

Rose was able to stand wobbly on her own now. She shakily fell over to where they were with the Doctor and tried to pull them away from him, yelling for them to let go of him.

All of a sudden, a blinding light flooded the cabin and everybody started screaming. Something was scorching her skin, slowly melting her body and it hurt beyond compare. It felt like someone was stripping her apart and it wasn't stopping like it had before. She writhed on the floor of the shuttle, screaming until she was hoarse. And then, as fast as it had appeared, it was gone.

Rose fell back on the cold floor, breathing heavily. The feeling of burning alive slowly dissipated and her vision began to return to her once again, but she closed her eyes, not wanting to see anymore horrors. She felt something grip her torso tightly and her eyes snapped back open to see the Doctor clinging to her in a desperate hug. She wrapped her arms around him in the same manner.

They separated to see that both the Hostess and Sky were gone.

"I said it was her." Both of them whipped their heads up at Val who was leaning heavily on a chair. Rose glared at the woman, not believing a word.

Twenty minutes later, the Doctor was sitting on the floor leaning against Rose's leg as she sat in the chair behind him. The rest of the passengers were scattered about the shuttle. No one was saying a thing. All of them too upset about what had just transpired to dare break the silence.

The voices of the rescue team came over the comms. "Crusader Fifty rescue vehicle coming alongside in three minutes. Repeat. Crusader Fifty rescue vehicle coming alongside in three minutes. Door seals set to automatic. Prepare for boarding. Repeat. Prepare for boarding." There was a click as they signed off.

Silence once again drowned the room, but the Doctor broke it just a few seconds after.

"The Hostess," Everybody looked to him curiously. "What was her name?"

His eyes dragged around the room searching all of their eyes and all he saw was obliviousness and regret as they looked to each other, hoping that someone had an answer. The very woman who had sacrificed her life for them and none of them even knew her name.

"June."

Everyone threw their eyes over to Rose. She didn't even blink, instead looking expressionlessly ahead.

"Her name was June."

The Doctor, Rose, and Donna walked back to the TARDIS, all ready to get out of there. Once inside, the Doctor set to putting them in the Vortex and Donna went to her room. Rose merely fell slumped onto the jump seat, looking utterly exhausted. Neither of them made any move to strike up conversation, leaving the air tense.

Once they were off of the planet, the Doctor pretended to fiddle with the controls on the console. He glanced up at Rose who was still sitting motionless with her eyes straight ahead and saw the blood on her forehead again.

He silently stepped over and squatted next to her seat, brushing a few hairs to the side to examine the gash closely. "How did this happen?" He asked.

She didn't answer and he began to worry. "Rose?" He put a hand on her arm.

Rose made a sharp intake of breath through her mouth and her head snapped over to look at him, as if just realizing he was there.

"Why wouldn't they listen?" She whispered, her eyes pleading with him to tell her something, anything.

But he didn't have anything to tell her. They were humans. They were terrified, angry, proud humans who wanted a solution to their problem, not giving a thought to whether or not it was the right one. They just needed someone to blame so they could make themselves feel safe again. Humans that, when they're scared, lash out and would do anything, even to the amount of murder, to keep themselves alive.

He wondered what would've happened if they had managed to kill him before they figured it out. They'd have realized as soon as he was gone that they were wrong. What would they do then? Would they throw Sky out too? Or would the creature simply overcome them now that the cleverest only one that was really able to stop it was out of the way? Thankfully, that hadn't been the final outcome after all.

Then it all came back to the Hostess – June. She didn't even know these people. In fact, they had shouted at her and refused to listen to her because she just didn't know what to do. In the end, it was her who had come up with the solution. Without her, he and probably the rest of the passengers would be dead and the creature – whatever it was – would be free to wreak havoc all over Midnight and who knows where it would go from there?

He didn't have anything to tell Rose and she knew he didn't. So he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair, knowing that no matter how much he comforted her, it wouldn't change anything, but that wouldn't stop him trying. As long as she was hurting, he would always be there to help her and he would always try to make it better for her.

After a long embrace, he released her and pulled her up from her seat. "C'mon," he beckoned, smiling softly. "Let's go get that forehead taken care of."

 **Reviews would be greatly appreciated! Even if it's just to say one word, I would love to know if I did well or not. Please let me know!**


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